Power and Control
by VanillaKokain
Summary: Many would call Seto Kaiba a control freak, and to some extent that was true. There was only one place he enjoyed giving up control...the bedroom. Cue Malik, the hot headed Dom of Seto's wet dreams. The two had been Skyping for several months and finally decide to meet face to face. Can they make their relationship work in real life? Powershipping, sub!Kaiba, BDSM.
1. Question

**AN: this is my attempt at writing a healthy and realistic BDSM relationship. how that somehow includes powershipping…I haven't figured that part out yet. characters aren't mine unless stated otherwise (and if they are they are solely background characters). Big thanks to my friends Peggy and Amira for giving me feedback and ideas on this first chapter!**

Seto stared at the message that had just appeared in his Skype window, his breath halting ever so slightly as he read the words over and over. This was certainly an…unexpected turn of events. Startling, even. All their months of Skyping hadn't prepared him for this.

Malik: i want to meet you

The orange dots next to the name taunted him, tempting him to click into the window and reply, but he hesitated. What was he to say? He had to admit, he found the prospect of meeting his online pen pal (was that even the right term for what they were?) exciting, especially if it was _that_ sort of meeting. Finally seeing the face of the man who had coaxed out his deepest and darkest desires in person, being able to hear that gorgeous voice without the static of a horrible laptop microphone getting in the way… That was almost enough to make him say yes. The possibility that they might end up in bed together, that he might be able to feel how soft his skin was, run his fingers through that sunny hair that always looked so heavenly in the pictures Malik had sent him, kiss those plump lips and shiver in pleasure under that lithe body... With those thoughts he was extremely tempted to type back a yes, but his fingers stayed motionless over his keys. He had to be smart about this. He had to give it some thought. Weigh the pros and cons.

He made a quick list in his head.

Pros: Meeting Malik in real life. Getting to see the beauty that blurry webcam pictures couldn't quite capture correctly. Hearing that silken voice say his name without Malik's shitty microphone disrupting them. Getting to touch Malik. Possibly having sex with Malik. Above all, having a friend in real life he knew would not judge him for his…interests.

Cons: Malik could be a stalker. Or a pervert that wanted to take advantage of him. Or a murderer selecting his next victim. He could have lied about everything and proceed to mock Seto in public. And…

Seto couldn't think of many more cons. The ones he had come up with were scary, true, but very outlandish. The chance of him running into one of those people out of the millions of internet users was slim to none. Even if Malik was a stalker or a murderer or a rapist, he knew how to defend himself, and he'd dealt with stalkers and kidnappers before. Being famous, one grew accustomed to the creeps as he had. The only one he was truly concerned about was the last one, because he was so well known and his reputation was everything. If it got out that Seto was into _that_ , his business would be ruined and the Kaiba name would be a laughing stock. But he saw no reason why Malik would do something like that. He didn't seem mean spirited, nor did he even seem to know who Seto really was, so it was unlikely he had a grudge. Besides, they had also been talking for _at least_ eight months, and Seto had doubts someone wanting to do him harm was willing to spend that long having smutty voice chats.

Skype alerted him to a new message, and what Malik wrote this time made his chest clench.

Malik: i'm sorry. i shouldn't have said that. that sounded really creepy. i'm sorry.

Shit. He hadn't realized several minutes had passed since Malik's message. And Seto was always so diligent with his replies, no wonder Malik thought he was creeped out. Seto shook his head even though Malik couldn't see, quickly typing in his reply.

Seto: No, I'm sorry. I spaced out. It wasn't creepy, it just caught me off guard.

He sent that quickly, just so Malik would be comforted while he worked on his actual reply.

Seto: I would love to meet you, too. I know of a nice coffee shop on block 14 where we could have lunch, if you'd like.

He was not a trustful person, and Malik should consider himself lucky that he knew as much about Seto as he did. He should be _thankful_ that Seto was willing to share his most private thoughts and cravings. He supposed it helped that they met on a forum that encouraged those kinds of confessions, made just for people who wanted to talk about what they desired in bed but were too afraid to admit to these things in real life. Kaiba took comfort in airing his dirty desires anonymously under a screen name, on a site where no one could trace it back to him. He found it reassuring that there were so many others like him that enjoyed bondage.

That's how he had met Malik. Seto had posted a reply to a thread asking for stories about most disappointing partners, and he'd listed numerous instances where the men and women he'd had sex with had left him unsatisfied, whether they shared his interest in ropes and binds or not. Malik had replied to his post, stating that he knew how Seto felt because he'd had his share of disappointing partners as well. But whereas Malik's partners were turned off by the notion of being dominated to the point where leather and gags were involved, Seto's partners didn't even know he liked to be dominated. Where Malik couldn't find a proper sub, Seto couldn't bring himself to tell his partners he wanted a Dom.

Yeah, he was into that kind of bondage. Being tied up and teased mercilessly until he was begging for release. That's what he wanted. One would think with his cold demeanor and his controlling personality, he would make a much better Dom, but…it was refreshing for him to be able to give up that control for a little while. Not worrying about having to make his own decisions, existing only to please and be dominated. A shiver ran over his skin at the thought of Malik being the one to finally satisfy him like that.

Skype's message alert drew him back to the present, where a new message from Malik awaited him.

Malik: sounds good to me. i'm free this saturday, want to meet then?

The barest hint of a smirk pulled at Seto's lips. He responded with a confirmation. They decided to meet around two, after the lunch rush, so they would be able to discuss things in relative privacy without any strangers listening in but still have the safety net of a public meeting if it turned out one of them was untrustworthy. After Seto gave Malik the address to the shop, Malik asked if it was okay to call if something came up or he was running late. Though they had exchanged cell phone numbers, they never called each other, preferring texting and Snapchatting and of course, webcaming. If they wanted to hear the other's voices, they would Skype; calling the other's phone almost seemed too…personal for either of their liking. Seto supposed that would be changing after this meeting.

Malik: would it be weird if i said i couldn't wait to meet you?

Seto Kaiba wasn't the type of man to smile often, and that didn't change in this instance. That said, his lips did turn up in a type of pleased smirk as his eyes skimmed the message.

Seto: Of course not. I can't wait to meet you either.

* * *

Malik closed his laptop with a grin, keeping it in his lap as he drummed his fingers over the lid. He wished he could keep chatting with him all day, but they had done so for at least an hour afterwards and Malik needed to get ready for work. But he was finally – _finally!_ \- meeting up with Seto Kaiba. He had dreamed of this day, both literally and metaphorically. He'd wake up after a nice wet dream about the two of them at least once a week, and find himself distracted with thoughts of what they'd be doing if they were only together on a daily basis. Did that make him obsessed? Malik wouldn't say so. More… Interested. Captivated. Enamored. He loved what Kaiba did to him with that cool, sultry voice and that sweet, pleading tone. He just wanted to tie him up and paint bruises on that smooth, alabaster skin of his, have that gorgeous face underneath his heel as he begged for release. He wouldn't call that an obsession.

Setting aside his laptop he stood, realizing he was shaking slightly. He knew it was from the excitement, as well as the nervousness that came with meeting someone you only knew from online. And underneath all that was a bit of anxiety and paranoia, telling him this was a stupid idea and that Kaiba would kill him in his sleep. Pushing those darker thoughts away, he knew Kaiba – _the_ Seto Kaiba- would never do something downright illegal. Handcuffs and crops, perhaps, but murder? Oh, no. That was far too scandalous. Malik was in the clear.

Stretching his arms above his head, he moved over to his wardrobe, pulling out his freshly washed work uniform before studying the rest of his clothes. He had bought a few new things he could wear… Wait, what was he thinking? The date had only just been scheduled and he was already picking out his outfit? Maybe he was a bit more interested in Kaiba than he'd originally thought. Saving that decision for a later date he dressed for work, pulling his long hair into a ponytail at the back of his neck to keep it out of the way.

When he arrived at work, his coworkers noticed his slight shift in attitude. Usually he didn't appear to be overly friendly to anyone, really, and always wore a scowl so no one would be tempted to talk to him while he was working. He preferred to be focused on his work and hated to get distracted. While that part didn't change today, he was at least not glaring at anyone who approached him, and that made all the difference to his coworkers, who began whispering about his good mood.

Good mood or not, it never stopped Jounouchi from being a distracting asshole.

"Well, someone's happy," the man said, leaning on Malik's work desk as he wiped black grease from his hands. "You get laid or something?"

Malik tried to glare at his one and only work friend, but he never could quite pull it off unless he was actually pissed. "Maybe, maybe not. Maybe I just got a date with the hottest man in the world."

"You've got a date with me? Why am I just now finding out?"

"Oh, shut up." Malik set down his pencil, leaning back in the chair. No sense in working when he was distracted; his quality would suffer. "You're not even my type."

Jounouchi mocked offense. "And what _is_ your type?"

"The type that's into guys."

Now Jounouchi shrugged. "Got me there." He up and sat right on Malik's desk, getting off his sore feet. "So who is this guy anyway? Someone your family would approve of?"

Malik snorted a laugh and moved his papers away from Jounouchi so it wouldn't get engine grease on it. "Let's just say that if Isis brought him home to Father, he would celebrate. Me though? I'd be lucky if I even got the chance to pack before I was thrown out on the street."

"That doesn't tell me much, other than your father's a homophobe." Jounouchi frowned down at his friend and crossed his arms, wanting more information.

"Alright, well…" Malik thought for a moment. What could he divulge that wouldn't give Kaiba's identity away? "He's a businessman, my age or a year or two older. And I know this sounds clichéd but he's really serious, with a soft side and, oh my God is he attractive."

"Yeah? Doesn't sound like the worst kinda guy you could bring home."

"I don't think I'm going to be bringing him home."

Jounouchi hummed, digested this information. He could take a hint. "So it's just sex?"

"Maybe. I don't know yet. We're just meeting for coffee and a... a chat, and we'll see how it develops from there." Jounouchi didn't need to know all the details.

"What's his name, anyway?"

"Can't tell you." For the protection of the not-so-innocent.

"…He's not real, is he?"

Malik gaped at him. "Of course he's real! He's just in the public a lot, he has a reputation to keep. If people found out he was seeing another man, he'd be ruined."

"What, and you think I'm gonna blab? I thought you trusted me."

"Did you conveniently forget what you did when you found out I was gay? I'm lucky I wasn't fired."

"Hey, that was three years ago. I was a blabber mouth back then, but I've changed."

"Sure you have." Malik rolled his eyes, making shooing motions at him. "Now go away. I have to finish this design today and your big ass is hogging my desk space."

Pouting, Jounouchi hopped off his desk. "Come on, now that you've told me I gotta know. Just, show me a picture of him and let me guess who it is? Maybe I know him."

Malik narrowed his eyes at Jounouchi, knowing he wouldn't let the matter rest, but sure he would recognize Kaiba if he did see his picture. "No. Maybe if something more than sex develops with this guy, but if we're just going to fuck I don't want to ruin his reputation."

Jounouchi huffed, but seemed to give up. "Alright. I guess you got a point." Malik looked at him in surprise and he grinned. "I wouldn't want someone's reputation ruined just because I was too curious. But you just remember what you said, yeah? Something develops and I get to know."

Chuckling under his breath, Malik nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Now go away. You smell like old engine grease."

"Hey, getting dirty's half the fun." With one last grin Jounouchi turned and walked away, returning to his work. Malik watched him go, getting back to his own work only after he thought up a clever reply.

' _Oh yes_ ,' he thought to himself. ' _Getting_ _ **dirty**_ _is a lot of fun._ '


	2. Not Your Type

**AN: Second chapter, whee! This story is going to be updated very sporadically, as I'm literally just making shit up as I go. I have no plan, nor schedule. Just fair warning. Thanks to those of you who have left kind reviews so far! To those who haven't…well, at least the volcano part was original? (That said, any more unnecessarily rude reviews from this point on might be deleted. Haven't decided if I care enough yet. I can accept constructive criticism, but things like "you're disgusting" and "jump in a volcano" well, there's nothing really constructive about it.)**

Saturday couldn't come soon enough for either of them. The week seemed to drag on, time going slower and slower the closer it got to the weekend. For Seto, it just seemed like more and more work piled up on his desk, though getting sucked into hours of paperwork hardly helped the time fly by. As for Malik, designing motorcycles had never been a quick or easy task, and even more so now that he had something to look forward to at the end of the week. Understandably, both men breathed a sigh of relief come the end of their shifts Friday night. Nothing stood between them now except one night of uneasy sleep.

Malik found himself getting up in the bright and early hours of the day –mostly because he hadn't been able to stay asleep the whole night. Who could sleep when they were going to meet someone like Kaiba the next day? Despite his lack of sleep he didn't feel too bad; nothing a shower and a strong cup of coffee couldn't fix.

Lifting his arms over his head, he groaned as his muscles stretched. He grabbed a bathrobe and headed to the bathroom, taking a nice, long shower with a lot of hot water. His date with Kaiba wasn't until this afternoon, so that gave him plenty of time to relax until then. Even though he could use a couple of hours to himself after such a stressful week, he still found himself wishing he could just fast forward through the day. He couldn't take so much anticipation.

Done with his shower, Malik wrapped himself up tight in his robe. He quickly blow dried his hair, sprayed a fine mist of coconut oil on it to make it nice and soft, and left the room, pausing when he heard odd noises from the living room. He sighed, knowing what it was and wishing he wasn't so used to finding Ryou pulling all-nighters to play video games. Ryou was his best friend, had been since high school, and after graduation they had decided to be housemates. He loved Ryou, he really did, but he was tired of the other's teenage-like behavior.

Leaving him to his games, Malik went to the kitchen, digging up a light breakfast of mixed fruit and a protein shake. He was content to eat in silence, but apparently Ryou had other plans. The other man shuffled in, long white hair tied up out of his face, wearing an odd sort of adult onesie. Ryou had mentioned the technical name before, kigu-something or other. Malik hadn't bothered to remember. Whatever it was, it was styled to look like a red panda, and in Malik's opinion, was completely and utterly ridiculous.

He waited for Ryou to say something to him, but he just shuffled over to the fridge and retrieved an energy drink. After cracking it open and taking a long chug he set it back in the fridge, turning around to leave again. Malik raised an eyebrow, clearing his throat.

Ryou jumped, turning to face him. "Oh, Malik! I didn't know you were awake."

"I didn't expect you to be, either."

Ryou flushed guiltily. He had dark bags under his eyes. "Well, I wasn't planning on staying up this late, but this boss is a lot harder to beat than I thought she was, and you know I can't sleep when I leave something unfinished like that."

Malik hummed, not understanding his friend's obsession with video games, but not making fun of him for it. "Yeah, well… You're just lucky you work a night shift. You'd be a zombie at work if you had a normal job."

Ryou chuckled softly, grabbing a pack of Pop-Tarts and moving to sit at the table with Malik. "I know. I'm too much of a night owl to have a 'normal' job like you."

"And that's why you're a shelf stocker."

Ryou pouted and gave him a slap, but Malik just laughed. After settling down, he looked at Ryou seriously. "Speaking of though, what time does your shift start?"

Ryou thought for a moment. "Four. I get off at twelve. Why?"

"I'm going to need you to be out of here by at least three. I'm meeting someone at two and we might…come back here afterwards." He left it purposely vague, knowing Ryou would understand his meaning.

He did, and he showed he did by raising an eyebrow. "Is it that guy you've been obsessing over for the last year?"

Malik was appalled at the suggestion. "I am not obsessed with him. And it hasn't been a full year yet, either."

Ryou just shrugged. To him, those details were meaningless. "But is it? That guy you've been Skyping with?"

Malik averted his eyes, a slight pink tone coming to his cheeks. Ryou, being his best friend, was the only one who knew about his and Kaiba's odd relationship. The poor guy had accidentally over heard one of their more intense calls and, after a very awkward chat about it, he'd become Malik's sole confidant. He knew everything, from the nature of their relationship to just how _intense_ their calls had gotten over time. The only thing he didn't know was Kaiba's full name. In an attempt to protect Kaiba's identity, Malik had taken to calling him "Mr. K" around Ryou, claiming it was his screen name. It seemed appropriate to let that one lie slide.

"…Yes," Malik finally admitted. He turned to catch Ryou's reaction, finding him in an odd frown of concern. He raised his own eyebrow, urging Ryou to share his thoughts.

"I, uhm…" Ryou started, pausing to think of the best way to voice his concerns. "I know you like this guy and you two have been talking for a while but… I don't know… How do you know he's trustworthy?"

Malik almost laughed again, but he kept silent for Ryou's sake. "Because I know him."

"Yeah, but you don't _know him_ know him. He could be anyone."

' _Uh, no, he can't. There's only one Seto Kaiba.'_ Malik rolled his eyes. "Well, the same goes for your own internet buddies."

"That's different!" Ryou quickly defended his gaming companions. "I just play video games with them. I don't plan on meeting them in real life, and I sure as hell don't plan on having _sex_ with them."

Malik scoffed. "I hate that you have a point. But, trust me, I know Mr. K is trustworthy."

"But how do you _know_? I'm not trying to sound old or anything but… Malik, there are a lot of weirdos out there."

"I know." Malik sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Boy do I know. But I know Mr. K won't hurt me, okay? Unless I want to be hurt," he added, wiggling his brows comically to lighten the mood. Ryou wasn't impressed. He just frowned and made a skeptical, noncommittal noise.

"Ryou, I promise." Malik waved off his concern. "He's in the media a lot, remember? He wouldn't risk his reputation to hurt me."

"And his status?"

"We're both STI free, if that's what you mean." Ryou nodded slowly. "Ryou, we made sure to discuss all of this after we decided to meet up. We're being safe, we're meeting in public, we'll go over all our boundaries again before we start anything physical. Just…trust me, okay? I know what I'm doing." He placed his hand over Ryou's, giving it a squeeze. "And I've got you and Rishid on speed dial if something does happen anyway. I am prepared out my ass for any possible outcome."

Ryou snorted a laugh at that, hiding it behind his hand. "Alright, I trust you. I just worry a lot."

"Yeah, about everything but your sleeping patterns." He ruffled his friend's hair playfully despite his protests, finally returning to his breakfast after all that. Seeing his chance, he changed the subject. "Seriously, though, try to get at least a little sleep today, okay? I worry about you, too. Staying up all night chugging energy drinks isn't healthy."

"I know, and I will." Ryou picked up his Pop-Tarts again, breaking off a chunk and popping it in his mouth. "I beat the boss, so I'm just going to travel back to the market place to restock on health potions and arrows, and then I'll go to bed. Maybe fifteen minutes at the most."

Malik nodded, satisfied with this answer. "Just remember to be out of here by three, just in case, kay?" Ryou agreed with a nod, his mouth full of toaster pastry.

After that, they continued talking until their respective meals were finished. Ryou cleaned up his crumbs and returned to his game while Malik quickly did all his dishes. When he was done it was only half past ten, and he let out a disgruntled noise when he checked the clock. He wished it would hurry up and be two already.

* * *

It was nearing one in the afternoon as Seto finished tying his tie, looking over his reflection with a critical eye. He wore a navy blue blazer with shawl style lapels, open for a more casual look. Under that was a lighter button up, his tie matching the jacket's color. His slacks, also matching the blazer, were tailored for a more fitted look, perfect for show casing his long legs. He enjoyed this style, felt that it suited his profession and his personality.

He only hoped Malik enjoyed it as well.

The thought of meeting Malik in a little less than an hour brought that half smirk to his face again, though it was more shaky than how he would have liked. There was no question in his mind that, yes, he had made the right choice in agreeing to this date. He just… He was nervous. Realizing how nervous he actually was made his smirk fall. He hated that. Nothing made him nervous. He was Seto Kaiba. He knelt for no man! …Well, except maybe under special circumstances.

That thought made his smirk return. He couldn't wait to see what this date had in store for the two of them.

"Hey Seto!"

A familiar voice broke his train of thought, and he looked over his shoulder at his little brother. Before he could even get his own greeting out, Mokuba cut him off.

"Whoa, what's with the fancy get up? I thought you had the day off?"

Seto hummed, adjusting his cuffs. "I do. However, I have a date at two."

This was news to Mokuba, and his brows shot up into his black bangs. "What?" He stretched the sound of the 'a'. "This is news to me! Where you taking her?"

"Him," Seto easily corrected. Among the very few secrets he kept from his brother, his sexuality was not one of them. Mokuba was supportive, of course; he just never knew which gender his brother would be going for next, so women were his default. "And I'm _meeting_ him at a coffee shop. This is our first date, so I wanted it to be very casual."

"You're not dressed casually."

Seto looked confused at that and gestured down his front. "My blazer is open."

Mokuba laughed and stepped closer to him, hands going into his pockets. "Alright, let me ask you this; what is this guy like?"

Seto raised an eyebrow, wondering where this was all leading to. He decided to indulge his brother. "He seems very self-assured. Has a bit of a foul mouth, but nothing I haven't heard from you." Mokuba shrugged innocently at Seto's soft glare. "He's also a bit stubborn about having things his own way that don't even matter, like the shade of blue I use to describe my shirt. He's very…persuasive, though." He smirked to himself at the thought of how _persuasive_ Malik was. "He likes rock and roll and jazz, works at a _bike shop_ of all things, can't cook worth a damn… But, overall, very charming."

Mokuba laughed again, looking amused. "Doesn't sound like your type at all."

"He is, more than you think."

"Uh-huh." Mokuba shook his head. "A foul mouth mechanic who likes rock? No way."

"I don't have to listen to your sass." He moved to leave the room, but Mokuba blocked his path. Standing right in front of his little brother was a painful reminder of how much the kid had grown the past couple of years; they were almost eye-to-eye. "Can I help you?" he asked, sounding tired. He didn't have time for Mokuba's games.

"You're seriously going to wear that to meet a foul mouth mecha-"

"We've established he's a foul mouth mechanic who likes rock, Mokuba and yes, I do intend to wear this to my date. That is, if you ever let me pass."

"You're going to scare him off if you go looking like you've got a business proposition for him. Come on, just humor me."

Seto pinched the bridge of his nose. "I've been humoring you for eighteen years."

Mokuba faked a laugh, turning his brother around and sitting him down on the bed. "The blazer's fine, but everything else has to go."

"Who made you the fashion police?"

"Serenity, technically." Seto scowled at that answer, but remained seated while Mokuba rummaged through his drawers and closet. He barely paid attention to anything his brother pulled out, choosing instead to watch the clock and grumble to himself that Mokuba was going to make him late. After about five minutes, Mokuba threw a plain white t-shirt- why did he even own this?- and a pair of black jeans at him.

"Put those on. You won't look like a scary business man, then."

Seto studied the clothes before looking up at Mokuba. "I am a scary business man, though."

Mokuba shrugged, and Seto sighed and stepped into his en suite to change. He grumbled the entire time, even as he opened the door and returned to his place in front of the mirror. "I look like a hipster."

"See? You'll be right at home in a stuffy old coffee shop."

"Ha-ha." Seto rolled his eyes and checked his watch. "As much as I want to change out of this, you've put me behind schedule. If I don't leave now, I'm going to be late." He motioned to the door, and Mokuba followed his hand, lingering in the hall as Seto followed him out and locked the door.

"Call me if you need anything. You know where to get proper food, finish your homework and get to bed on time," he rattled off easily, having memorized the order several years ago. "I'll be back whenever I'll be back."

"Alright, but when should I notify the police of your disappearance?"

"If I don't come home or call you by…let's say five. If I plan to be out later than that, I'll either call or return before breakfast."

Mokuba didn't look too happy with this, but he nodded and gave his brother a half hug. "I'll see you whenever, then. Have fun with the foul mouth mechanic."

Seto chuckled and returned the small embrace. "I will."


	3. Meeting

**AN: i don't have much to say about this chapter except writing dialogue sucks** **PS: I forgot to mention in the last chapter, but thanks again to my friend Peggy for proofreading all this shit. You're a lifesaver!**

It was 2:05 on the dot when Seto's sleek black Audi R8 pulled up to the curb outside of the coffee shop, and he cursed under his breath. He was late. He hated being late.

Stepping out of his car, he made sure to grab the slim briefcase from the passenger seat before pressing the lock button. He only stuck around long enough to hear that whirring click of the locks turning into position, and then he was hurrying to the coffee shop door. On the way he prepared the excuse he would use, because he was sure as not telling his potential Dom that his kid brother had made him change into something less quote-unquote threatening. He supposed the classic traffic jam excuse would do; after all, it didn't really matter _why_ he was late, just that he _was_.

Late or not, it seemed it wouldn't even matter, seeing as Malik was apparently late too. Seto stood in the entry way for several minutes looking around the room, waiting for that head of blond hair to come in to view. When it never did he decided to seat himself by the window, ordering only a black coffee to tide him over until his date arrived. While he waited for his drink to arrive he pondered what could have happened to Malik to make him late. Meeting at two was Malik's idea, it seemed absurd that he'd let himself be late.

Seto checked his watch. 2:08. Okay, so maybe he was over thinking it. This wasn't school or a business meeting where being eight minutes late truly mattered. Up to ten minutes was alright. Fifteen minutes was pushing it. Twenty…well, Seto didn't stick around to see people who made him wait twenty minutes.

The waitress set his coffee in front of him and let him be. He took a tentative sip of the hot liquid, once more glancing at his watch as he set the mug down. 2:10.

He made a mistake agreeing to come here.

He only knew this man from chat forums and webcamming, yet he had agreed to meet him face to face, in his favorite coffee shop of all places. Was he that desperate for someone to scratch his BDSM itch that he'd agreed to meet with someone he only knew online? Because he was the only competent Dom Seto had met?

Well, hindsight was 20/20.

He was having second thoughts. A lot of second thoughts. All sorts of doubts about where this meeting could lead filled his mind. Was he ready for committing to someone sexually, perhaps even romantically? Would this even lead to commitment, or was Malik looking for a onetime thing? Could Seto even bring himself to play the role of a sub, the role he desired so desperately to be, or would his pride get in the way? Would Malik understand if he couldn't fill said role perfectly the first time? Thoughts like these and many more presented itself to him before his mind quickly moved onto the next one, and the next, and so on until he was anxiously tapping his nails against the table. He glanced at his watch.

2:13.

Seto cursed angrily under his breath and took a gulp of coffee, shivering as it went down bitter.

A loud rumble of an engine broke his melancholy thought train. He, along with the few other customers in the shop, glanced out to see what the source was. Seto saw a man on a motorcycle drop his kickstand next to his car, only thinking of how much he didn't want his vehicle scratched up by some biker. Then the man took off his helmet, and Seto's heart skipped a beat.

Malik.

All doubts melted away in that instant.

As Seto watched, Malik stuffed his helmet into the leather pouch attached to the side of the bike, taking something else out and stuffing it in his leather messenger bag. After that, he used Seto's side mirror to check his appearance, an act that had Seto smirking. He took his time to study Malik's outfit. A black leather jacket, more form fitting than Seto had expected. A deep red flannel shirt under that, unbuttoned. Under that, a simple black t-shirt. He wore tight, dark jeans that were frayed at one knee. And, perhaps Seto's favorite part, a pair of black military style boots. He could see a lot of potential in those.

Once Malik had made sure he didn't have helmet hair he hurried to the door, slowing his steps as he neared it for a more casual stride. Once in, he looked around, biting his lip. He saw Seto and grinned, hurrying over and sliding into the seat across from him.

"Sorry I'm late. I know how bad that can make first impressions. I forgot something important at home and had to go back for it." He offered Seto a small, apologetic smile; brows furrowed slightly and one corner of his mouth higher than the other. It was adorable, and any lingering doubts or anger Seto had left vanished without a trace.

"Don't worry about it," Seto replied smoothly, as if he hadn't just been regretting this set up. "But I must know – What was so important that you had to go back for?"

Malik hummed, removing the strap of his bag from around his shoulders. "What indeed?" He tapped the outer flap with his fingernails, then let his hand fall. "I suppose you might find out later, if you're a good boy." Those words, combined with the sultry look Malik gave him, had a bolt of arousal shooting straight to his cock. He had to swallow before he spoke.

"Based on that look you just gave me, am I right to assume it has something to do with our…shared interest?"

Once more Malik hummed, pretending to think. "Could be…"

Seto smirked. "Well then, I'll be sure to be on my _best behavior_."

Malik grinned at this, crossing his arms on the table and leaning on them. He was surprised how…naturally the words came to him, to them both. He had no idea how Kaiba was feeling right now, but on the drive over he'd been a nervous wreck, almost literally. He'd been so wrapped up on what to say and how to act that he'd run two red lights. Some jackass in a pickup nearly ran over him. But he was here now, and he was surprisingly at ease with everything, even the fact that he'd been almost 15 minutes late. At the end of the day, Kaiba was still the man he knew online, his friend. Not even Kaiba being famous could make him nervous now.

"Oh, I sure hope so. I'd hate to have to punish you on the first day." Both he and Seto chuckled at this.

"I'd hate that too," Seto said slowly, but the way his lids lowered, Malik knew he was lying. His smirk grew and he learned forward more, about to reply when the waitress stepped up to their table.

"Sorry for the wait." She deposited two menus in front of them. "What can I get you to drink?"

Malik made an unpleasant face, annoyed that his and Seto's flirting had been interrupted. "Mocha cappuccino, please."

She nodded and let them know she'd be back to take their lunch order in a moment.

Malik heard Seto sigh and turned back to him. His menu had already been placed aside, and he was staring intently at the briefcase resting in the seat beside him. Malik raised an eyebrow. "I don't think your briefcase is going to tell you what the lunch special is, Kaiba."

"I know. I come here often enough I know what I like." He paused and looked like he was going to grab his suitcase, but decided against it. Malik was curious, but didn't comment. "And Seto is fine." He'd been called much more personal things by this man, so why bother with manners?

This had Malik smiling, a sort of smug smile. "Alright, Seto… Can you recommend a good vegetarian dish to me, then?" He glanced over the lunch menu, nothing standing out to him.

"You never told me you were a vegetarian," Seto said, sounding intrigued.

"My whole family is full of them. And no, it's not because we're hippies."

Seto looked back at him now, forgetting the briefcase for now. "I never suggested you were. This place has a pita pocket or two, and I think a vegetable Panini. I've had neither, so I wouldn't know if they're any good."

Malik nodded, finding both items after a bit of searching. When their waitress returned with his drink, he ordered the pepper stuffed pita pocket. Seto ordered the usual. After handing back their menus, they sat in comfortable silence until Malik broke the ice once more.

"Sooo…" he began, searching for something to say.

"Yes?" Seto rested his chin on his folded hands, waiting patiently. Malik said the first thing that came to mind.

"I'm still pretty shocked you agreed to meet me," he stated with a lopsided smile. "It was a really split second decision I made, asking you out and all. As soon as I hit send I regretted it, thinking you'd cuss me out or block me."

Seto let out a soft, amused breath. "And? Do you regret it now?"

"Not at all. Do you regret agreeing?"

Seto didn't miss a beat. "Not at all."

Malik smiled. Seto smirked.

"I am curious, though," Seto began, his attention wandering back to his briefcase. "What your intentions for meeting me were."

Malik's smile dropped a notch. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are you expecting from this meeting?"

Oh. Malik nodded to himself in understanding. Of course Seto would be curious about that. The question _had_ been sudden, after all. They had mentioned meeting once or twice, made empty promises about what they would do if they were ever able to see each other in real life. Malik had always assumed it would just be a bit of internet fun at first; that Seto was too busy with his own life and his business to continue playing for long. But he kept coming back. Month after month, he'd return Malik's messages and texts, initiate calls with him, respond to his Snapchats…

It was a nice arrangement, and it was an even better (if slightly one sided) sex life, so for a while Malik was content. But as the anniversary of their first conversation grew closer, and Seto got more comfortable mumbling 'Master' during calls, Malik wanted more. So much more. He had to meet him, even if it was only for that one day, a single lunch date. He had to meet the man that made his hormones go haywire. And so, one ill thought out message later and here they were.

Malik thought about his answer. "I'm not going to lie; I would very much enjoy it if our relationship in real life took the same path our online relationship did. That said, it's not the only reason I wanted to meet you. Yes, the sexual desire is there, but… I just really wanted to meet you face to face. Even if we don't have sex, or if we never meet face to face again, I'll be happy just knowing I got to meet you."

Seto listened intently, nodding slowly at the end. "Would you really be okay with never having sex with me and never meeting up like this again?" His gaze was intense, but Malik didn't shrink away from it. "You wouldn't feel angry, or betrayed, or bitter if I said 'no' to a sexual relationship?"

"Of course I wouldn't." Malik frowned. Where was Seto going with this? The other man simply smirked.

"Then I suppose I've found myself a Dom worth keeping."


	4. Trust

**AN: pumping out chapters like I'm getting paid for it. Sadly, I'm not. I don't even own these characters! Once again thanks to Peggy for proofreading** **If you're enjoying this story, please leave a review and let me know! It doesn't have to be long or worded professionally, just let me know what you liked and maybe what you'd like to see in future chapters!**

 **(To the readers who are new to or aren't knowledgeable in BDSM: I'll be using a lot of BDSM terms from here on out. I'm going to start doing a small glossary section at the end of each chapter with definitions/explanations of the terms/acts/tools mentioned. They'll be marked with an asterisk (*) as per fanfic norm.)**

" _Would you really be okay with never having sex with me and never meeting up like this again?" His gaze was intense, but Malik didn't shrink away from it. "You wouldn't feel angry, or betrayed, or bitter if I said 'no' to a sexual relationship?"_

" _Of course I wouldn't."_

" _Then I suppose I've found myself a Dom worth keeping."_

The words rang in Malik's ears like a fire alarm, not fully registering what was said for several seconds. Had he even heard Seto correctly, or was his brain playing tricks on him?

He was obviously surprised, judging by his expression; wide eyes, mouth slightly agape, brows arching high. Seto watched, amused, tilting his head curiously. "Why Malik, you seem surprised at that. Did you think I wasn't interested in being your sub?"

Malik shook off his surprise. He acted nonchalant, leaning back in his seat and stretching his arms over the back of the booth seat. "You have to admit, those questions leading up to that didn't exactly scream 'dominate me'."

Seto hummed an acknowledgement, taking a sip of his coffee. "I suppose so. I just wanted to make extra sure I could trust you to accept a 'no'." Trust did not come easily for Seto, and he didn't really have a reason to trust Malik as much as he did. To be so willing to enter a relationship based solely on trust was startling to Seto, and the irony didn't escape him. Therefore, he had to test Malik to make sure he was worthy of that trust, however misplaced. He supposed he could take Malik's word for it.

Malik nodded in understanding, though he seemed a bit annoyed that he'd been lead on. "What kind of person would I be if I didn't accept a 'no'?" He couldn't think of anything he had said or done to give Seto the impression that he wouldn't accept a no, nor did he think Seto had any reason to doubt him. Since day one he had done his absolute best to be open and honest with him, and he was a little offended that Seto didn't seem to think he was trustworthy after all.

"Exactly." Another sip of coffee, his lips lingering on the rim of the cup as he thought of his words carefully. "I don't want to enter a relationship where I can't trust my partner, especially if BDSM is involved. The amount of trust I need to place on you… If I intend to submit to you, I have to know that you have my best interests in mind, and that you won't take advantage of me. I don't tolerate being forced, coerced, manipulated, or guilt tripped into anything I don't want to do. Do you understand?"

"Of course." Malik drank from his own cup, licking his top lip when he was done. For a moment he stared down into his coffee cup, watching the whipped cream further melt into the beverage. He supposed he could follow Seto's train of thought. After all, they'd only spoken online before this. "I guess I can't blame you for that." He lifted his eyes to meet Seto's, smiling to show he understood. "I wouldn't want you to feel like you can't trust me. But you have my word that I will do nothing to force, coerce, manipulate, or guilt trip into anything you don't want to do. Your 'no' is final."

"Are you willing to sign a contract to that affect?"

Malik looked at him with a bemused expression; one eyebrow arched and mouth a lopsided grin. "Depends. Will it be legally binding?"

"You know that BDSM contracts don't hold up in court. Though now I'm tempted to get my lawyer to make one that is."

Though Seto's tone was stern, Malik could tell by the way the corners of his mouth curled up that he was teasing. He tsk'ed and shifted positions again, crossing his arms on the table in front of him and leaning on them. "You don't have to get me to sign any contracts. You have my word that as your Dom, I will do nothing to violate your limits or boundaries, and that all your 'no's and safe words will be respected."

Seto practically purred. "Good. I'll hold you to that, you know."

"I know you will."

They met each other's gaze, holding it for several long seconds, desire sparking between them once more. Seto was the first one to break it, turning to look down at the briefcase on the seat beside him. He supposed this was as good a time as any to bring this up… He cleared his throat.

"Now that that's out of the way, I figure it's wise to discuss our limits*," he said, his voice taking on his customary no-nonsense tone to hide the desire he felt. He brought his suitcase to his lap, retrieving a stack of forty or so sheets of paper from inside. They had already discussed some of their likes and dislikes online; their biggest turn on's and hardest limits, but they hadn't discussed everything. Only the things that were relevant to the current conversation.

"I took the liberty of printing off the most complete checklist of limits I could find," Seto explained, closing the briefcase and laying the stack of paper between them. Malik stared at it unsurely. "Relax, I printed it off four times," he added, seeing Malik's look. "This way we can both have a copy of our own and each other's limits, and we can update them as needed." He removed the paperclip keeping the pages together. He'd already stapled each copy together, and he passed two of the stacks to Malik.

Malik shook his head and immediately began scanning over the first page. "You're more prepared than I am. You're making me look bad."

Seto smirked himself, taking out two pens from a pocket inside his jacket. "I am a businessman. Besides, I would rather over prepare for this and know exactly what I'm getting into, rather than letting you have your way with me without any discussion at all and hope for the best."

Malik snickered, glancing up at him. "You want to fill these out now? There's like, twenty things on each page."

"We don't have to fill them out right this second, or even today. I admit I would prefer to fill them out together so we can discuss or compromise on some things, but it's not absolutely necessary."

Malik hummed thoughtfully, on the second page now. He didn't even know what some of this stuff was. Catheterization*? He didn't even know how to pronounce that, let alone what it was. "Uh…I'd like it if we filled these out together, too," he said, brows scrunching. "Preferably after a bit of research."

Seto gave him an appreciative, though somewhat amused, look. "Then, if you're free tomorrow morning, perhaps we can meet up again and fill them out?"

Malik couldn't help but snicker again at this, and he glanced up from his papers. "Well, well, look at you. I'm the Dom here, and yet you're making all the plans and arrangements."

Seto feigned a glare at him. "You'll find I am much more than my sexual preferences, Malik. I do run a business, after all. Making plans and arranging meetings is a daily task of mine, one I am quite good at." He smirked then, finishing off his coffee. "Besides, what is it they always say? The sub is ultimately the one who's in control."

"I think that's in reference to scenes*, not lunch dates."

The glare was back. "Do you have a better idea?"

Malik chewed his lip, pausing for a moment to think. "Actually… Yeah, kind of."

Seto cocked an eyebrow to indicate interest. Malik caught the look, pursing his lips as he thought about how to phrase it. "Well… If you're free for the rest of the day, we can go back to my place. Lots of privacy there. We can fill the checklists out, looking things up as needed; maybe have some dinner if it gets that late. If we finish filling out the checklists, we can see what happens from there." As he spoke, his tone got lower and more suggestive, leaning over the table so he was closer to Seto. Seto found himself subconsciously leaning in as well, not realizing it until he felt Malik's warm breath on his cheek. His cheeks reddened and he sat back, clearing his throat quickly.

Malik grinned when he saw how flustered that had made Seto, a bit surprised it had been that easy to make him blush. Oh, playing with him was going to be so much fun. "Well, sound good? By all means, we can do it your way…but do you really want strangers to accidentally overhear just how much you want to be tied up and spanked?"

Seto glanced up at him, not looking pleased. Malik did have a point, and he hated to admit it, but he was right. If even one person overheard him discussing potential scenes, he'd be ruined if they opened their big mouth. Even now he glanced around to make sure no one was listening in, even though the coffee shop was empty all for one hipster with their headphones on. "I…"

Being alone with Malik, nothing but their inhibitions keeping them from reenacting their hottest Skype calls… The thought was tempting- _extremely_ tempting- and he was curious as to how the night would progress between them. If they ended up in bed together, vanilla or kinky, he would be happy as long as the checklists were filled out. And besides, he had already let Mokuba know he might not be back until the morning, so he didn't see the harm in going over, perhaps even spending the night…

Seto smirked for what felt like the twentieth time that night. "Alright, then we'll go to your place."

Malik grinned in return, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. "Glad you see it my way."

* * *

 ***Limits:** Generally used to refer to acts, scenes, or fetishes that people are unwilling to partake in (but are not limited to BDSM). Saying that something is a _hard_ limit means that it should not be done, and that the person stating the limit is totally unwilling to consent to it. A _soft_ limit is something that people are hesitant or apprehensive about trying, or something that they are only willing to consent to if certain conditions are met. As a very vanilla example, some people view penetrative anal sex as a hard limit, while more "casual" anal stimulation such as annalingus with dental dams is a soft limit.

 ***Catheterization:** Bathroom use control, usually involving medical catheters inserted into the area controlled by the bladder. (A hard limit for Malik, Seto, and the author, lol.)

 ***A scene/scenes:** The stage or setting where BDSM activity takes place, as well as the act itself. It is almost always discussed and planned out in advance by one or all parties involved, with a defined beginning, middle, and end. An elaborate sexual play, if you will.


	5. Limits

**This chapter has a lot of BDSM terms in it, so be sure to check the glossary if you don't know what something is. As always, thanks to Peggy for proofreading! If you're enjoying this story, make sure to drop me a review! ;D**

 _Seto smirked for what felt like the twentieth time that night. "Alright, then we'll go to your place."_

 _Malik grinned in return, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. "Glad you see it my way."_

After that, lunch went smoothly and passed fairly quickly. Their food arrived and a bit of comfortable small talk bubbled up as they ate; talk of their jobs and hobbies, family and friends, and other quote-unquote neutral topics. They joked and made references to their old Skype conversations and, of course, flirted over dessert.

Malik had initiated a game of footsie several minutes ago, and it didn't stop even once they'd finished dessert. Seto didn't mind, and that half smirk of his returned as he pressed the toe of his shoe to the toe of Malik's boot. It was such a simple thing, but he found it very cute and endearing, especially since Malik acted so casual about it.

"Well," Malik began, licking a bit of stray chocolate from his lips and fingers. Seto had been less messy with his sundae but then again, Malik had probably been messy on purpose. "That was delicious. I can see why you like this place."

Seto nodded, stacking his dishes and pushing them away. "Indeed. The food is quite enjoyable."

Malik hummed an agreement, pushing his dishes aside as well. "I wouldn't mind coming back here sometime."

"Are you suggesting a second date?"

"Of course. Wouldn't dream of coming here alone."

They shared a sensual glance before Malik took out his wallet. Seto's expression turned to a frown. "I'll pay."

"No, no, you probably pay for all your dates. Besides, I was the one who wanted to meet up."

"Yes, but I was the one who suggested this place. Besides, a bill this small is nothing for me."

They argued like this back and forth for several minutes, finally deciding to split the bill in the end. Seto still left a generous tip, as per his personal norm, and collected Malik's portion of the bill before taking it to the register to pay. Malik collected their things and met him at the door.

"Ready to go?" he asked, handing Seto his briefcase with a small smile. Seto took it with a nod, pulling out his car keys as they left the building. It was barely half past three, but the seasons were changing and the sun was already beginning to dip low on the horizon. The wind had a certain chill to it that made them both shiver.

"We can take my car," Seto stated, turning it on with the button on his keychain. Malik raised an eyebrow at this, somehow not surprised this fancy thing was Seto's.

"I'm not leaving my bike here," Malik replied evenly, throwing a leg over the seat and settling into it. He cocked an eyebrow at Seto, almost a challenge, daring him to get on.

Seto didn't budge. "And I'm not riding on a loud, greasy, death machine."

"Watch it- another insult like that I'll tie you to this death machine and flog* you."

The air in Seto's lungs left him at that, a spark of lust running straight to his groin at the images that statement produced. He shifted slightly, not wanting his desire to be obvious, and hid the pink tint to his cheeks by turning his face away.

"Is that a threat, Malik?" he shot back, not wanting to let Malik know those words had gotten to him –yet.

"Take it as you will," Malik returned simply, shoving his keys in the ignition and starting his motorcycle up. "Either way, I'm taking my bike home. You do whatever you want, so long as you come with me." He eyed Seto again, another silent challenge. The engine rumbled and the bike vibrated beneath him, a persuasive, reverberating tune.

Seto raised an eyebrow, looking both Malik and the bike up and down. "I'll follow behind you in my car," he said, and that was the end of it. Even if he did want to ride on some loud, smelly, greasy motorcycle –not that he did- he wouldn't now. Not with Malik as the driver, and images of Malik's threat still lingering in his head. He needed to be alone for a while to compose himself.

With the ride situation out of the way, Malik backed out of his parking space. Seto did the same, following Malik as he drove off out of the parking lot and into the street. As he drove he tried to think of something, anything, that wasn't related to motorcycles and Malik tying him up and whipping him. He didn't want to have to fill those checklists out while horny, but it seemed like the more he tried not to think about it, the more he thought about it. The more he thought about it, the hornier he got. By the time they arrived at Malik's house he was reluctant to even get out of his car, let alone sit down with Malik and talk about what was on that checklist. Damn it.

Seeing Malik get off his motorcycle and look back at him gave him enough strength to turn the ignition off, at least. With gritted teeth and baited breath he opened the door and put one leg out, now cursing his brother for picking out pants that were far too tight. At least his slacks had room for a boner.

Seto was apparently taking so long to get out of the car Malik decided to come see if he needed any help. He said nothing to Seto, but the smug smile on his face told the man everything he needed to know. This damn minx knew what he was doing, and he had already dragged Seto into a game he hadn't even been aware of.

Malik wordlessly took Seto's arm, the gentle grip making an involuntary shiver go through him. He gave Seto a slight tug and, as if that action had been an order and not a suggestion, he stepped out of the car and shut the door behind him. He'd barely remembered to grab his briefcase on the way out. Malik didn't even give him a second to explain.

"You're been thinking about _it_ , haven't you," Malik said in a hushed, sultry tone. It wasn't a question, nor a guess; he knew what he'd said had gotten under Seto's skin the second he'd said it. Even now Seto's mind seemed to wander from the moment, to a possible future where ropes and floggers where involved. He chuckled deeply, leaning closer to Seto, drawing the other man's attention back to him. "Answer me."

Seto's mouth went dry, and when he opened it to speak nothing came out. He wasn't a virgin by any means, nor had he ever been put so on edge by a potential lover. It was equal parts the power Malik had already imposed over him just by being suggestive, and Seto's desire to submit to him, as well as their months and months of sexting. The lust was already there, but being with him in person, where those suggestions could very easily become a reality was almost too much. He had never met anyone like Malik before, never been involved with someone like Malik before… He wasn't as prepared for this as he'd thought.

Malik's hand was still on his arm, and he used his grip on him to gently push Seto backwards against the car. Gently, of course, so Seto could move away if he wanted to.

He let himself be pinned between Malik and his car.

"I'm waiting," Malik whispered, his other hand resting on Seto's hip now. His hands were warm compared to the chill of the wind and the cold metal on his back, and Seto felt like he was going to burst into flames from that alone. He swallowed discreetly, trying to shake off the lustful haze that had enveloped him, but with each second that passed Malik seemed to be getting closer, and his grip tighter, and the desire was becoming stifling.

"Y-yes…" His voice was hoarse, but he had managed to get his answer out nonetheless. Malik hummed, obviously pleased that he had gotten Seto so worked up. He moved even closer, pressing their bodies together and tilting his head like he was coming in for a kiss. Seto moved without thinking, tilting his own head to meet Malik halfway. And then, without warning, he released Seto and stepped away.

"That's all I wanted to know," Malik grinned, tone back to normal. Seto stared at where he'd been for several long moments, shocked and confused and still so horny it took him a second to process what had happened. When he had he groaned and covered his face, embarrassed by the whole ordeal.

"You fucking tease," he hissed, stepping away from the car and dropping his hand so he could glare at Malik. His face had turned quite a flattering shade of pink, and Malik's grin just spread wider.

"Hey, if you think that was bad, just wait until you see some of the other things I have planned for you."

Seto's eyes narrowed at him, but said nothing as he shoved his hands into his pockets. He supposed he couldn't fault Malik too much; being teased _was_ one of his biggest turn ons. So, of course, he was just harder than before. He wasn't even sure he could walk properly.

"Now, come on." He grabbed Seto's arm again and began pulling him towards his house. "I want to get these limit things filled out so we can get to the really fun stuff."

The house Malik shared with Ryou wasn't large or impressive by any stretch of the imagination. It was a small two story thing with barely enough room for two adults, let alone an actual family, which is what it had been built for. The paint on the outside was peeling, both tenants being far too lazy to touch up, but it was a pleasant enough color that it didn't look horrible. There were small gardens that Ryou took care of on either side of the stairs, one with flowers and one with vegetables. The bushes that surrounded the porch were lush and untrimmed, as neither man who lived here had anyone to impress.

"It's not much but rent is cheap," Malik explained when he saw Seto looking at the house with a critical eye. "I know it probably doesn't suit your fancy-shamcy millionaire tastes, but with the money I save on rent I've been able to furnish a sizeable playspace*."

Seto only shrugged in response, his mind elsewhere. Like what these curious hooks on the roof of the porch were used for. Malik didn't seem to mind the lack of reply, just unlocking the door and stepping inside. It was nearing four now, and just as he'd hoped, Ryou was out of sight. His car was gone, and he'd even cleaned up the living room a little. Malik made a note to thank him for that later as he hung up his coat and breathed in the lemony scent that Ryou's cleaning supplies had left behind.

"Just make yourself at home," he told Seto, hanging up his bag as well and pulling a small black box and his copies of the checklist from inside it. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"Tea, if you have any." He debated whether or not he should take off his blazer. He hated how he looked in the t-shirt, but he knew he'd just overheat in the blazer with how hot and bothered he was. After a moment he hung it beside Malik's coat.

He settled down onto the couch, trying to subtly find a position that was both classy and didn't make his jeans strain against his cock. He couldn't find one, and he cursed softly.

After a few minutes Malik returned with a mug of hot tea and a can of soda. He sat down on the opposite side of the couch so they had just enough room between them to breathe. He cracked open his soda, watching Seto sip at his tea. "Your dick still bothering you?" he asked out of nowhere, and Seto almost choked on his drink.

" _What?_ "

Malik just shrugged. "I felt your boner earlier when I had you against your car. I was just wondering if it had gone away yet."

Seto frowned indignantly. "If you must know, no, it has not. And I blame you for it entirely."

"Of course. I accept full responsibility for it."

Seto was silent for a moment. "Does that mean you'll help me with it?"

Looking up at him, Malik just smirked and took a long drink from his soda can to stall, licking and smacking his lips once he'd swallowed his fill. "Hmm…" He tapped his chin in thought, pursing his lips and scrunching his nose a little. "Hmm… Nope. Don't think so."

Seto groaned under his breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. Malik just snickered mischievously.

"Now that we're comfy," Malik said with obvious humor, "let's get these checklists out of the way."

Seto, still exasperated from the teasing, sighed and grabbed his briefcase. "It'll be faster is we just fill out each other's for now," he said, assuming Malik had plans for once they were through. The man's earlier words returned to him, confirming that thought. " _We can see where things go from there_ ," something to that effect. Malik definitely had a plan, but what it was, he wasn't saying.

Malik picked up his own papers and a pen. "Alrighty then, let's see…" He studied the checklist more thoroughly now; each page was separated into two boxed in columns, the one on the left with the activity in question in alphabetical order and the box on the right for indicating willingness on a scale of 0 to 5. He quickly read over the directions, even though he understood it well enough. One was to rank their willingness to perform the activities on a scale of 0 to 5, 0 being the hardest of hard limits, 3 being a soft limit, and 5 being a huge turn on.

"Abrasion*?" Malik read off the first one, glancing up at Seto to see his reaction. The other man bit his lip.

"A three, I suppose. Depends on the material used. You?"

"Four if I'm doing it to someone else, two if it's done to me."

Seto looked up at him with a curiously raised eyebrow. "Oh? And who'd be doing it to you?"

"I started this all as a sub, remember?" He was sure he had shared this with Seto when they'd talked about how they had gotten into BDSM in the first place, and by the nod Seto gave him, he had.

"Hard to imagine you as someone else's plaything," Seto muttered, almost to himself. They marked each other's numbers and moved on.

"Age play*?" Seto read off, his expression revealing his own disgust.

"Ew. Zero."

"Same for me."

Once more they marked the number down. They continued going through them, taking turns reading off each activity and ranking it on the scale given. If they ran into something they didn't know of, they looked it up on their phones and continued. After half an hour, they had only reached the F's. Somewhere between abrasion and flame play*, Malik had stretched out on the couch, sitting up against some pillows with his feet in Seto's lap and his papers on his thighs. Seto didn't mind, and had even taken to dragging the tip of his own pen along Malik's sole when he took too long to answer.

"Alright, next one is flogging." Malik smirked up at Seto when he said this, though by Seto's frown he'd already seen it. "Do I even have to ask what this one is?"

Seto averted his eyes. His erection was at least half gone now, so all of his blood was free to rush to his face. "…Five."

Malik chuckled and marked it down. "Thought so. Five for me, too."

Seto just got redder at that, and he hurriedly read off the next activity so Malik didn't have a chance to talk about it more. "Flogging horse*?"

"I have one," Malik grinned proudly at this, sticking out his tongue. Seto just barely caught the glint of a silver tongue ring before it disappeared back into Malik's mouth. "If that's any indication."

Seto smirked and wrote down a 5. "I've never been on one, so put down a three."

Malik pouted and did so. "What would it take to get you on one?"

Seto hummed in thought. What indeed? "Perhaps a demonstration as to how they work?"

This made Malik chuckle. "I'll think about it. Food play*?"

"Zero."

Malik hummed in thought. "Eh, maybe a one for me. Never tried it before, honestly." Seto eyed him for a moment before writing the rank down.

It took them almost two more hours to complete the list, and by then Malik's thoughts were racing with all of the things Seto had rated as 5. He could work so many of those into scenes, and many of them were things he himself enjoyed immensely. He had so many ideas, and he wished he had a notebook so he could write them all down.

Seto groaned and laid the papers down, stretching out and rubbing his neck. He checked the time and groaned again. He was supposed to have called Mokuba an hour ago. "If you'll excuse me, I need to make a phone call," Seto said, tickling Malik's soles to make him move his feet. "If you have any more plans for tonight, tell me now so I can let my brother know I won't be home tonight."

Malik had _so many_ plans. It was hard to decide on just one for tonight. "I do have some…" he said vaguely, not wanting Seto to know just how many he had. He really needed that notebook right about now.

Seto nodded to acknowledge he'd heard Malik, and then stepped out of the room so he could call his brother in private. Malik was up off the couch immediately, rummaging in his drawers until he found one of his old sketchbooks from college. Good enough.

Sitting back down, he flipped through the pages until he found some that were empty, and he quickly began jotting down all the ideas he had to various scenes and activities. He'd have a few issues deciphering the hurried handwriting and abbreviations he was using later, but he'd worry about that when the time came.

Several minutes passed before Seto returned to the room, and Malik was still writing. Seto raised an eyebrow and sat beside him, looking at the chicken scratch covering the page. "What are you doing?" he asked, hardly impressed.

"Nothing. Just jotting some ideas down." Malik gave him a coy smile and shut the sketch book, tossing it aside without a care. He turned to Seto then, grabbing his hair and tugging him closer. Seto's eyes narrowed slightly, but aside from that he showed no reaction to the pain.

"Now my dear…" That husky tone was back, but it was more commanding than before, and Seto's skin erupted with goosebumps. Malik leaned close so his lips brushed against Seto's cheek as he spoke. "I intend to fuck you tonight, but I'll give you two options. Option one, you call me 'Malik' and we spend our time doing non-sexual things until you feel like leaving; or, option two; you call me 'Master' and you are at my mercy to do with as I please. Understood?"

Seto nodded, his breath faltering once more as he tried to speak. "Y-yes…" Malik's lips trailed to his neck, and he clenched his jaw to keep from moaning as Malik bit his skin.

"Yes, what?"

Seto swallowed thickly, his eyes closing. It was all on him, he had the power to shut this whole thing down right now. All he had to do was call Malik by his name, and this would stop right here. But Malik was _here_ , they were finally together and they finally had the chance to relive all their digital desires, and he was so ready to be dominated, so fucking ready to give in and let Malik take control…

And yet… Was he truly ready? Emotionally, mentally, could he handle submitting? Could he put aside his pride and dignity and allow someone else take the lead?

"Well?" Malik was growing impatient, and he gave Seto's hair a small tug. Seto grit his teeth, opening his eyes enough to see Malik was staring at him. His eyes were hard and commanding, but his lips curled in a smug smile. Seto felt like his insides had turned to jelly.

"Yes…Master."

* * *

 ***Flog/Flogging:** Whipping or lashing, in this case while using something called a flogger, which is a type of whip with many thin "tails", usually made of strips of leather.

 ***Playspace:** An area or room where BDSM equipment and toys are kept and where BDSM activity usually happens. Also called "dungeons" by some people, though playspace is far less dramatic than dungeon.

 ***Abrasion:** Using various, usually rough, materials such as sand paper, brushes, or leather to stimulate the body.

 ***Age play:** Pretending you're either younger or older than you actually are.

 ***Flame play:** A type of play which involves fire. Is considered dangerous and if not done correctly, can lead to burns and even scarring.

* **Flogging horse:** A padded bench-like sawhorse on which submissives are mounted and secured by use of tethers. Sometimes also called spanking bench or spanking horse.

* **Food play:** Play where the Dom controls the sub's food intake, including what type of food and how much they eat.


	6. Yes, Master!

**(** **｡** ಠ‿ಠ **｡** **) this chapter got sooo ooc but I love it. A big old thank you to my wonderful friend Peggy for proofreading, and one for Amira for being so encouraging about this whole fic. You two are awesome!**

 **Also, I know BDSM isn't everyone's cup of tea so I take no responsibility for you not enjoying this chapter. This is tame compared to things I want to have them do in future chapters. Just fair warning.**

" _Well?" Malik was growing impatient, and he gave Seto's hair a small tug. Seto grit his teeth, opening his eyes enough to see Malik was staring at him. His eyes were hard and commanding, but his lips curled in a smug smile. Seto felt like his insides had turned to jelly._

" _Yes…Master."_

Malik kissed him.

 _God_ , did Malik kiss him.

It was rough and passionate, with more teeth than tongue, and nails digging into his scalp. Seto groaned into it, out of breath in no time, and he was barely managing to keep up with all the different directions Malik took the kiss. One minute he was dragging Seto close and sucking his tongue, and the next he had Seto with his back to the couch cushions, Malik straddling his lap and nipping his lips. Seto groaned again, laying his hands on Malik's hips to bring him even closer. Before he could, however, his hands were slapped away and pinned down by Malik's own, and he growled a short, non-committal protest against the other's lips.

Malik pulled back, staying close enough so Seto could feel his breath on his cheeks, but far enough away that Seto couldn't lean up and kiss him again. "You don't get to touch me unless I say so. Understood?"

Seto just frowned in reply. He knew this was part of the scene, but no touching at all?

Malik didn't appreciate Seto's silence, and he grabbed his chin roughly, forcing him to tilt his head to the side. " _Understood?_ "

Seto gasped softly, both at the unexpected action and at the pleasurable throb he felt between his legs that said action caused. He nodded as much as could with Malik holding his head back, and Malik let out a pleased noise, releasing his chin and stroking his cheek. "Good boy." He freed Seto's other wrist –the first having been freed when he grabbed his chin– to see if his new pet truly understood. The only movement he made was to press his palms against the couch cushions. Malik made another pleased sound. "Mm, you are a good boy."

Seto felt himself shiver at the praise, and he bit his lip to keep from speaking out of turn. He was impressed by how easily it came to him, the ability to submit and take commands… He hadn't had much experience being a sub, maybe one or two sexual encounters in college where he was tied up and spanked, but it was tame compared to everything he'd read about and witnessed in porn. With his stubborn personality and lust for control in the majority of aspects in his life, he hadn't been sure if he could fulfill his role, but so far so good. Then again, it was only one command. Who knew what the rest of the night could bring?

Malik brought him out of his thoughts with his lips returning to his throat. He sighed and craned his head back to give Malik easier access, the other taking what was given and kissing at this newly revealed expanse of skin. His hands wandered along Seto's sides, tickling at his ribcage and playing with the hem of his shirt. He nipped and sucked at Seto's throat, harder in some places than in others, and left a trail of bright red patches behind. He'd have to check them later to see if they formed hickies.

This continued for several minutes. With each nip and suck Malik gave him, the more wound up Seto got, and the more he wanted to touch Malik. He wanted to smooth his hands down Malik's back; rake his fingers through his hair and grab his hips. He did none of these, now gripping the fabric of the cushions, knowing he shouldn't disobey. Unless…

Seto rolled his eyes, annoyed with himself for not realizing it sooner. Malik had given him that order specifically so he could disobey it. A clever excuse to get Seto all tied up and to deal out punishment that fit well with the narrative of the scene. He wondered it Malik was improvising, or if he had actually planned this encounter out in advance. Either way, Seto was probably too easily impressed.

Seto let himself enjoy the necking and playful touches for another moment longer before slowly raising his hands and taking hold of Malik's hips. As much as he enjoyed that, he was ready to get to the real good stuff.

Seto was correct in his assumptions. Malik sat up leisurely, looking down at him with an unimpressed scowl. "I told you not to touch me," he said slowly, emphasizing each word. "It seems you're not as well behaved as I initially thought… No matter. If you can't obey simple orders, then I have no other option that to punish you for your disobedience."

Standing up, Malik pulled Seto up by his shirt collar, not giving him a chance to do it himself. Keeping a hold of him like that, he more or less dragged Seto down the hall, up the stairs, and into his bedroom. Closing the door behind them, he released Seto so he could lock it. A simple padlock he'd installed himself after Ryou had barged in on him one too many times. He showed Seto the key and laid it down on his dresser. "By the time I'm through with you, you will know not to disobey me. Strip."

The order came so suddenly Seto almost didn't notice it. He hurried to obey, eyes on Malik as he pulled his shirt off. Malik wasn't looking at him; rather, he was kneeling before his dresser, digging around in his bottom drawer, pulling out objects and laying them down every so often. Some of them Seto recognized, and it sparked renewed excitement in his loins. Others he didn't recognize, and they filled him with apprehension.

After retrieving the items he'd been looking for, Malik closed the drawer. He set some of the objects on top of the dresser, taking others with him to the bed. He sat down, crossing his legs as he watched Seto. He was down to his boxers now, and Malik couldn't help but notice the very obvious tenting of the otherwise loose material. Leaning back on his hands, he extended his top leg to brush his foot against Seto's crotch. Seto inhaled sharply, his movements stilling.

"You're incredibly turned on, aren't you?" Malik asked calmly, almost sweetly. Seto only nodded in reply. "You have permission to speak, you know," he reminded Seto, pressing his toes against the bulge in his boxers. "I haven't taken away your ability to do that just yet."

Seto bit his lips and nodded. "Yes, sir."

Malik smirked, pleased with his pet and how this scene was progressing. It really didn't take much to get Seto excited, and that bode well for future scenes. Lowering his foot he allowed Seto to return to his task, and Malik was happy to sit back and watch as each and every inch of pale skin was exposed to him. As gorgeous as the man's naked chest and thighs had been on webcam, his entire body in person was even better. Long, lithe limbs, broad shoulders, thin hips, each curve of muscle along his chest and arms being well defined. And his equipment wasn't too bad looking either.

Soon enough Seto was naked in front of him, and Malik could barely take his eyes off of him. He raked his eyes up and down his body several times, as if trying to memorize each piece of him. Seto stood still, not quite embarrassed by Malik's gaze, but still a bit flustered at the lecherous way Malik was looking at him. Standing once more Malik moved over to him, presenting the items he'd brought to the bed with him; a padded leather collar with several D rings attached to it at equal intervals, and a pair of matching wrist cuffs. He looked up at Seto with a small smile, undoing the clasps on the collar. "The safe word*is dahab. Think you can memorize that?"

Seto was eyeing the collar suspiciously, not sure if he could bring himself to wear that. It would be humiliating. And yet… He did want to wear it, if only to prove himself that he could. He lifted his chin, silently giving Malik the okay to put the collar on him. "I think I can," he responded, feeling Malik fasten the collar around his neck. He slipped two fingers between the leather and his chin, checking the tightness. Seeing it wasn't too tight, he took one of Seto's hands now, locking the cuff around his wrist.

"Simple as that." He moved on to Seto's other wrist, once again checking to make sure they weren't too tight. As each clasp was done up he felt Seto tense, and Malik studied his face. He was staring at the cuffs with an unreadable expression, and looked to be chewing the inside of his cheek. He looked uneasy, yes, but didn't seem anxious or unwilling. Then again, he wasn't used to Seto's expressions and body language. Placing two fingers under Seto's chin, he tilted his head up and made him look him in the eyes.

"You okay?" he whispered, his own expression showing his concern. Seto looked confused for a moment before realizing Malik had broken his role and that this wasn't part of the scene.

"Yes," he answered briskly. And he was, really. It was just new to him. Being dominated in real life was so different than in his fantasies. Even the little roleplay-like conversations they'd had on Skype had been easy. Submission had come naturally to him then, as it was all just a fantasy. He'd seen it as little more than elaborate oral storytelling with a masturbatory twist. Even their chats, up until this week, had been a part of that. The desire to submit had been real, of course, and the lust he felt for Malik was as well. He was sure of what he wanted and what he liked. He just…needed practice pursuing it.

"You sure?" Malik was still looking at him with that worried expression. "We can slow down if you're getting overwhelmed."

Seto frowned, shaking his head. He appreciated Malik's concern, of course, but there was no way they were stopping now. "I'm sure." Just to make his sureness abundantly clear, he grabbed Malik's shirt collar and dragged him into a deep kiss. For a moment Malik was stunned motionless, and Seto echoed his earlier actions, nipping at Malik's lips teasingly and poking at his tongue ring with the tip of his tongue. Then Malik composed himself and took control of the kiss, raking his fingers through Seto's hair and giving it a tug. Seto groaned and melted against him, and Malik smirked into the kiss. He pulled away and grinned, leaving Seto slightly winded.

"I'll take your word for it," he murmured over his lips, stepping back to resume the scene. He grabbed a leash and with a smirk, attached it to one of the D rings on Seto's collar. "Now then, my pet, I wonder how I'll punish you for your disobedience." He watched Seto's lips part, hearing a shaky inhale. "Do you have any suggestions?"

Seto's eyes widened, surprised that he was apparently being given the privilege of choosing his own punishment. On the one hand he was glad, because he could pick something he knew he'd like. On the other hand, it would still only be a suggestion that Malik might not consider. He thought for a moment, trying to come up with something he enjoyed either way. "A flogging might be in order, sir."

Malik's smirk only widened, but he didn't let Seto know if he liked that suggestion of not. Instead he just tugged on the leash, leading him to the bed. "On your knees, right here," he said, patting the edge of the mattress. Seto obliged, kneeling in the middle of the area Malik had shown him, his back to the rest of the room.

The bed was a queen sized canopy with a sturdy, black wrought iron frame. The headboard and end board were both made of iron, shaped and bent into intricate swirling designs. Each design was topped off with a heart. Seto smirked when he noticed this. It was almost too Malik. There were sheer black curtains draped over each end of the frame, and Malik pushed them back so they wouldn't be in the way. As he did this he revealed strips of leather connected with O rings attached to each corner of the frame. He glanced around at the frame again, seeing more on the head and end board. "This bed gets a lot of use, I see," he commented, not able to help himself. He was rewarded with a quick slap on the ass, and he grunted in pain. Worth it.

"It will get much more use if you keep talking like that." Seto didn't see that as much of a reason to stay silent but he kept his mouth shut anyway. Malik looped his leash over the bed frame bar, tying a quick and simple slip knot. He gave a tug to see if it was secure, then watched Seto do the same. Enough room for comfort and wiggle allowance, but he wouldn't be sitting down anytime soon.

That wasn't enough for Malik, however. Standing up on the bed so he could reach, he used a strip of leather with two large lobster claw clasps at the ends to connect the D rings on Seto's wrist cuffs to the O rings at the corner of his bed frame. This left Seto with his arms spread out and held aloft at either side, leaving him completely helpless to whatever Malik wished to do to him. Malik licked his lips at the thought.

Stepping down off the bed, Malik ran his hands over Seto's back and sides, just smoothing his hands over his skin. Seto's breathing was even, and he leaned into Malik's touch. Malik allowed him to do this and continued stroking his flesh, warming him up and letting him have time to get used to the position. He reached around him and ran his hands up and down his chest, pressing his own chest against Seto's back. He tweaked at the other man's nipples, then lightly dragged his nails over his chest. Seto shivered, biting back any noise that threatened to come out.

"Comfy?" Malik asked, genuinely curious. Seto nodded.

"Yes, sir."

Pleased with that answer Malik stepped away, trading his light, sensual touches for raking his nails down Seto's back instead. Seto gasped and flinched away at the surprise and pain, and Malik did it again. Seto flinched but didn't make a sound, so Malik did it to his chest instead, leaving bright red trails in his wake. Seto shivered and groaned in the back of his throat.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you my pet?" Malik kissed his shoulders, pinching Seto's nipples between his middle and index fingers. Seto whined and tugged at his restraints.

"Yes."

"Yes, what?" Another, harder pinch that made Seto arch away from him.

"Yes, sir!"

Malik smirked and released his nipples, smoothing his hands down his chest again, feeling the raised scratch marks on his skin. He hadn't drawn blood, but he'd still need to treat those later. He wrapped his arms around Seto and pressed against his back again, loving the way the other man subconsciously leaned into him. He kissed Seto's neck and shoulders, and the other man hummed in delight. "As much as I love it when you call me 'sir', I think I prefer 'Master'."

Seto hesitated, glancing over his shoulder at Malik. Master? Well, that _was_ the name Malik had given him to use earlier. For him it was quite a large step up from "sir", and he couldn't wrap his mind around calling another man his master. And yet, he reminded himself that Malik wasn't really his master. It would just be another nickname for them when they scened, part of their little sex play. He supposed he could live with that.

Malik's lips were at his throat again, and his hands were all over Seto's body, finding the most sensitive spots on him with ease and teasing them with his fingers. He shuddered, stomach quivering as Malik smoothed his hand down it. "Yes, Master," he let out weakly, watching Malik's hand dip lower and lower towards his erection.

"Mm, good boy." He kissed Seto's shoulder once more before stepping away, smirking when Seto made a frustrated noise. He really was getting into this, wasn't he? He retrieved a flat suede paddle, gently tapping it against Seto's left asscheek. Seto jumped in surprise, trying to look back over his shoulder at what Malik held. Malik used his free hand to turn him back around. "Don't make me blindfold you." Seto huffed out a breath and Malik considered doling out more punishment for his _tone_. He'd see how he handled the paddle first, though.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked, smoothing the flat side of the paddle over the inside of Seto's thighs. Seto shivered at the sensation, trying to lean towards it but being stopped by his restraints. Oh, Seto knew, and his body stiffened with anticipation.

"Yes, Master."

Malik grinned, tapping gentle circles along the bottom curve of Seto's ass, then up into the meatier sections, back down to the thicker parts of his thighs. He alternated between light, barely there pats and firmer swats, but nothing too hard yet. He'd give Seto the chance to get warmed up before he got to the actual punishment. Though, judging by how he was shivering now, having to wait was punishment enough.

Taking the paddle away, Malik crouched down, coming face-to-ass with Seto. He ran his free hand over his skin, giving each cheek a squeeze one right after the other. Once more Seto jumped in surprise, and he pulled at his restraints. Malik raised an eyebrow at this, leaning in to kiss his lower back, the tops of his cheeks. Seto hummed, the sound almost desperate. Malik chuckled and bit at the skin, and Seto whined. He was opening up more, which Malik was happy about.

"Why, are you _excited_ for your punishment?" Malik questioned teasingly, sticking his paddle between Seto's legs, grinding the edge of it against his balls. Seto jerked back instinctively, stifling a moan.

"N-no, Master."

"No? Then how do you explain this?" He reached around him and took Seto's cock in his hand, giving it a small squeeze. Seto moaned, hips bucking into the touch, wanting more.

Seto didn't respond, and Malik bit his flesh again. "Answer me, pet."

Seto groaned, not sure what to say. Obviously he was excited for his punishment, that's why he was reacting so dramatically to each little touch. But within the context of the scene, that answer didn't make sense. And besides, he'd already said 'no'. He was still debating on what to say when Malik brought the paddle down on his ass. He let out a yelp and recoiled, struggling with with restraints.

"If you're not going to answer me, I'll just have to double up your punishment."

Seto shuddered anxiously at this, feeling his heartbeat at his temples. Could he handle more? Well, only one way to find out. He stayed silent, biting at the inside of his cheek while he waited for Malik's next move.

Malik was surprised at this response, not aware Seto was a glutton for punishment. No matter, that just made his job more fun. He went back to patting his rear. "Alright, so my little masochist wants more punishment. I can give you that." Seto frowned at the phrasing, certain he wasn't _truly_ a masochist, but he'd bring it up later at the proper time.

Running the tip of the paddle up and down Seto's spine, Malik leaned in close, voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "How many hits do you think you deserve?"

Again Seto was surprised that he was given a choice, but it didn't last long. His last choice had been shot down, and he figured this one would be the same. "As many as you want to give me, Master," he said instead, the words coming easily to him. He knew he'd just needed practice.

This answer pleased Malik, and he kissed Seto's shoulders. "What a good boy you are." The tip of the paddle caressed the small of his back. "I hate to punish you, but you disobeyed me. If I don't punish you, you'll just disobey me again."

Seto couldn't help the soft whimper that escaped him. He was so ready for his punishment, the more the thought about it the less the could think about anything except the paddle on his ass and Malik's lips at his neck. His head was foggy with endorphins and his body aching with lust. He needed stimulation, any stimulation, even pain was fine with him. "Yes, Master... Please."

Malik nodded, stepping back and readying his arm. "If you can take ten, I'll give you a reward." Seto nodded an acknowledgement to show he'd heard and understood, and Malik swung. The paddle was soft suede, so it didn't hurt as much as his leather or plastic ones. Even so, when the flat of the paddle connected with skin Seto let out a yelp, recoiling away. He wasn't used to this, and it hurt more than he thought it would, more than a hand.

Malik waited for a moment to make sure Seto wasn't in too much pain. He didn't seem to be, so Malik gave him another gentle pat to get his attention. "Count for me, pet."

Oh god. Seto could barely even think right now, let alone keep track of numbers. Even so he nodded. It was an order, after all. "One."

Malik slapped him with the paddle again, alternating between cheeks. Again Seto withdrew from the shock of pain. "T-two!" The pain accentuated his desire, making his erection far more prominent.

The flat of the paddle hit him again, the crack of suede against skin sounding throughout the room. "Three!"

Two more swats and he was shaking, pulling at his restraints and panting. Sweat beaded at the edges of his hairline, and his heartbeat throbbed in his ears and his asscheeks. His skin was already bright red where Malik had paddled him, and he knew he wouldn't be sitting for a while. This was more intense than he'd realized, and he didn't even think Malik was going easy on him.

"Halfway there," Malik whispered to him, smoothing a hand over his buttocks in an attempt to soothe the sting, at least a little bit. "Can you handle five more?"

Seto moaned through his teeth. He wasn't sure if he could, but he would at least try. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he gave up halfway through. Besides, he wanted to know what his reward would be, and he always had the safe word if he was over his head. "Yes, Master."

Malik nodded, but he could see that Seto was close to his pain threshold. He almost couldn't believe someone who got off on punishment couldn't even take five swats with a paddle. He probably wasn't as experienced with BDSM as Malik had assumed, and he frowned to himself at the thought. He'd have to ask Seto about it later and adjust his ideas and plans accordingly, maybe work in some training scenes… Resuming his paddling he eased up slightly so they were less painful. Even so Seto grunted and squeezed his eyes shut. "Six!"

Another three and Seto was a quivering, panting mess. His ass hurt, his arms and shoulders hurt, even his knees hurt from having to hold his weight for so long. But god, was it worth it. His cock was so hard that it hurt, each kiss of the paddle against his skin delivering a bolt of pleasure right to his loins, emphasising the arousal that was already present. Somewhere between the fifth and ninth swat he'd even begun dribbling precum, something that was as embarrassing as it was arousing.

"One more," Malik purred into his ear, running his free hand all along Seto's back and rear. "Can you make it?"

Seto didn't even pause to think. "Yes!" He was too horny to remember rules and respect, just shouting his answer instead.

With anyone else, Malik would have punished them for raising their voice. But Seto had been fairly well behaved up to this point, and he was close to his limit, so he let it slide. Perhaps next time, or after some training. Leveling his paddle with the meatiest part of Seto's ass, he swung one last time. The suede cracked against Seto's skin and the man howled, recoiling violently against the pain.

"Ten!" He'd done it. He'd made it to ten. Proved to himself that he could do it, and had earned a reward from his Master as well. Shuddering and panting, he glanced behind him to see what Malik was doing. Malik smiled and dropped the paddle, stepping up to embrace him again.

"Mm, such a good boy," he spoke against Seto's skin, kissing his neck and shoulders and the shell of his ear. "You made it all the way to ten. Your master is impressed. You'll be rewarded nicely."

Seto closed his eyes, a peaceful look to his face. Malik's hands were rubbing along his body again. "Thank you, Master."

Malik continued caressing his body with his fingers and lips for a moment, giving time for Seto to catch his breath. Once his breathing had evened out, he got up on the bed again, releasing the clasps that connected his cuffs to the O rings. Seto's arms dropped, sore from being held up so long, and he groaned as they tingled as the blood flowed back into his fingers. Once both were free and he was able to, he sat on his feet, wincing at the pressure against his butt as he rubbed his shoulders and wrists. Oh yeah, he wasn't sitting for at least the rest of the night. He glanced up at Malik, wondering what his next order would be. But Malik was content to wait and let Seto have a break, sitting down beside him and wrapping his arms around his waist, laying his cheek on his shoulder.

"You've made your master very happy," he hummed, closing his eyes. And he really had; it had been a long while since anyone was willing to submit to him to this extent, and he enjoyed every second of it. And no one he'd Dom'd in recent years had the same emotional connection with him as Seto had, and that just made it all the better.

Seto shared the sentiment, but he didn't voice it. Instead he leaned against Malik, laying his hand over Malik's and squeezing, and that was enough for Malik. "Thank you, Master."

"Hmm…" Malik turned his head and pecked him a quick kiss on the lips. "Are you ready for your reward?"

Did Malik even have to ask? "Yes, Master."

"Then lay down on your back." He released Seto and motioned to the middle of the bed. Seto obeyed, leaning back against large, plush pillows. Malik followed him, attaching the clasps to another, larger O ring strapped to the headboard. Seto opened his mouth to comment on this one, too, but Malik cut him off. "Another smartass comment and I'll spank you again." He grinned to show he was just kidding, then leaned down and kissed him again. It was sweeter than last time, their lips and tongues moving together and sliding over the other's without any teeth threatening to bite or nip. Seto moaned into it, Malik echoing the sound as he cupped Seto's cheeks.

When he pulled back it was reluctantly, hesitantly, lingering on Seto's lips for far longer than originally intended. When he made no move to pull further away, just hovered there and breathed, Seto craned his neck and recaptured his lips in a far more desperate, far hungrier kiss. They were both fairly out of breath at this point, and Malik breathed deep through his nose, smelling faintly the cologne Seto must have put on during the day. Seto's lips were smooth as silk, his mouth warm and tasting slightly of tea, his tongue curious as it once again probed Malik's tongue ring.

Now he pulled back for real, sticking his tongue out so the silver barbell was visible. "Ever kiss someone with a tongue ring before?" he asked playfully.

"No, Master," Seto shook his head. It was quite the experience.

Malik grinned at this, leaning back in to give him a chaste peck. "Then just you wait."

Seto looked up at him, eyes hazy with lust and lips parted and flushed pink. His eyebrows were furrowed in a silent question, not knowing what he was supposed to wait for. Malik only smiled in response, pulling a long strip of thick, black silk from his back pocket. He dangled it above Seto's chest, letting the very ends tickle and dance over his skin. Then he laid it flat and dragged it over his chest, focusing on the nipple areas and making Seto squirm. After a bit more teasing like this he laid the silk over Seto's eyes, moving slowly as he tied it behind his head, giving his pet ample time to protest if he wanted to. He didn't, and Malik tied it tight.

"You've been a very good boy," he murmured, trailing his hands over Seto's neck, across his collarbone, down his chest. "You deserve a special reward."

Seto's only response to this was an anticipatory whine, arching into Malik's touch.

Without another word Malik began crawling down Seto's body, kissing and nipping and sucking at his chest at random intervals, leaving bite marks and bright red patches all along his torso. He rubbed his tongue over Seto's nipples, pressing the ball of his tongue ring against the nubs. Seto groaned, squirming and arching up, silently begging Malik for more. He continued along the length of his body, dipping his tongue into Seto's belly button, biting his prominent hip bones, and licking the section of skin just above his pubic hair. He combed his fingers through the short, neatly trimmed patch of hair, smirking to himself as Seto whimpered.

Taking his hand away, he got up without a word and with as middle noise as possible. Seto noticed his absence and frowned, turning his head even though he couldn't see a thing. Malik tugged his clothes off and let them fall in a pile near Seto's, biting back a hiss as his erection was exposed to the air. Seto wasn't the only one who was painfully hard.

Grabbing a bottle of lubricant and a condom from his bedside drawer he returned to the bed, taking a seat beside Seto's hips. He dragged the serrated edge of the condom wrapper down the middle of his chest and stomach, across his hip bones, down his thighs. Goosebumps erupted on Seto's skin and he shivered pleasantly, the blindfold making him hyper aware of and hypersensitive to each little noise Malik made, each little touch and tickle against his flesh. He had no idea what was coming next, where it was coming from or what it would feel like, and the anticipation alone made him shiver again, tingles going up and down his spine.

Malik smirked down at him, opening the condom and placing it in his mouth. He shifted so he was laying down, getting comfortable before lowering his head and direction Seto's shaft into his mouth, using his lips and tongue to unroll the condom onto him. Seto threw his head back with an unintelligible cry, pulling so tight at his restraints the leather strips squeaked and groaned. He hadn't been expecting that at all, and the sudden assault of simulation startled him.

Taking as much of Seto's cock in his mouth as he could, Malik slowly moved his lips and tongue over him, stroking and massaging the section he couldn't fit in his mouth so the entirety of him was stimulated. He pressed his tongue firmly against him, letting him feel the ball on his tongue ring slide against him, rubbing it against all the sensitive parts of his cock like the helmet and the ridge on the underside.

Seto whined and squirmed, enjoying the sensations of Malik's tongue and lips on his most sensitive bit of flesh. His hands were balled into fists one minute, and the next he was gripping the iron designs on his headboard, needing the support. Malik sucked at the base of him and he groaned, gritting his teeth. "Master…"

Malik pulled back, kissing the tip of his cock sweetly. "Yes, my pet?"

"More, please."

Malik smirked and gently ran his fingernails up the underside of his cock, not hard enough to hurt or scratch. "More, you say?"

"Yes, Master."

Licking his lips, Malik's hand ventured across his hip bones and down the curve where his thighs met the rest of him. "I don't know. I don't think you've been good enough to deserve more."

Seto groaned in frustration. "Please, Master!"

Malik chuckled and flicked Seto's erection with his fingers, making him gasp and twitch. He didn't say anything more, simply readjusted his position so his ass was in the air, lowering his mouth back onto Seto. The other man moaned in appreciation and pleasure, and Malik bobbed his head quickly while his hands fiddled with the bottle of lube. He poured some onto his fingers, reaching behind himself to slick his entrance with the liquid. Pulling in a deep breath of his own, he tried to divide his attention evenly between preparing himself and pleasuring Seto, but every now and then his attention defaulted to one or the other. Especially when he added a second finger to himself, thrusting it in and out and stretching himself. He groaned around Seto's cock, the vibrations from the sound making the other moan.

Once he felt that he was ready he pulled back, not missing the quiet, half-stifled whine of protest Seto gave him. Malik smirked and straddled Seto's lap, dousing Seto's lap with a good amount of lube as well. "You've made your master very happy, and very horny," he purred, running his hands down Seto's chest again. "I'm going to use your body to please me. Are you ready?"

Seto had to bite back a shout of impatience. Under different circumstances he might have been tempted to grab Malik, switch roles, and fuck the little minx into the mattress. As it was he was tied, helpless, at Malik's -at his Master's mercy. "Yes, Master! Please, use me!"

Malik smirked, grabbing Seto in his hand and directing him to his entrance. He pushed his cock in as he moved his hips down, and Seto easily slipped inside. They both moaned, Seto's much more guttural and desperate than Malik's. Sliding down the length of him it wasn't long before Seto was deep inside him, and he had to take a moment to get used to the sensation of being penetrated again. It didn't hurt, but Seto was thick so there was a bit of discomfort.

"Oh, you feel so good," Malik purred out, planting his hands on Seto's chest and leaning his weight on them, using that as leverage to roll his hips.

Seto groaned through gritted teeth, trying to resist the urge to buck his hips up. "Y-you do too, Master."

Malik smiled at the compliment, slowly raising himself up, then quickly slamming himself back down. Seto gasped and Malik groaned. He did it again, and again, slowly building up a quick and steady rhythm. His head fell back with a moan, his fingernails digging into Seto's skin. Hearing Seto making his own pleased noises he smirked, happy they were both enjoying this.

He continued to ride his pet, building up a rhythm until he could do it without even thinking. Pull up, slam down, again and again until he could feel tingles and prickles going up his spine. Biting his lip, he took himself in his hand, squeezing and stroking himself in time with his thrusts.

"Tell your master how much he gets you off," he demanded suddenly, voice raspy with pleasure. Seto gave him a noise in reply, his mouth open wide as he moaned and panted.

"S-so much," he answered after finding his voice. "I can't think of anything else. Master is so skilled, and -ahh!" His sentence was cut off when Malik gave his cock a squeeze with his internal muscles, and he threw his head back. "Master, ahh, please make me cum!"

If Malik hadn't had so much self control, that sentence would have made him up himself. As it was, he was fairly close, and he could tell by Seto's shivering and twitching and gasping that he was nearing orgasm as well. He closed his eyes, moving his hips faster, slamming himself down harder. "You- mm, you can cum, pet."

"Thank you, Master!"

It took another minute or so until Seto actually came, but when he did his body arched off the bed, head thrown back with his strangled cry of bliss. Malik grit his teeth, forcing himself to stop his movements -continuing to ride Seto would just be painful after all that. He sat on his lap and stroked himself to completion, squeezing his eyes shut and growling low in his throat, his cum dribbling over his hand and onto Seto's lower stomach. Making a soft, satisfied noise he pulled off of Seto before ungracefully dropping on top of him. He felt boneless, all his muscles were jelly, and it was such a good feeling. He didn't even have enough energy to reach up and undo Seto's restraints. Seto was too busy coming down from his post orgasm high to notice or care.

"Wow," he muttered, out of breath. It was the only thing he could think to say. This entire scene had been overwhelmingly arousing in all the best ways, and he could hardly register that it was over. The entire world seemed to melt away, leaving just him, Malik, and the endorphins still coursing through his bloodstream.

Malik giggled softly at his statement. It was such a cliche thing to say, and yet, it perfectly summed up how he felt about the scene as well. He licked Seto's throat, then kissed him there. He trailed kisses up to Seto's chin, then sat up and kissed his lips.

"Agreed. _Wow._ "

* * *

 ***Safe word:** A code word that a bottom/sub uses to completely halt any and all BDSM activity (though not limited to just BDSM, I personally support the use of safe words in any sexual situation). Especially useful when said activities involve any kind of binding or consensual force. If a sub says the safe word during a scene, the Dom must respect that and the scene is to end _immediately_. Not if's, and's, or but's.

 **D ring/O ring/Lobster claw clasps:** I figured I'd mention them since not everyone knows what they look like. Better to just google image these. SFW, I promise! Some of the other things like cuffs and paddles are fairly self-explanatory.

"Pet" is a very common nickname that Doms give their subs during and outside of scenes. I was gonna go with "slave" at first, but their relationship isn't really a Master/slave dynamic, despite Malik using 'Master' during scenes. So I settled on pet.

Also, their safe word means "gold" in Arabic. Thank Amira for that one ;D


	7. Aftercare

**Microsoft Word refuses to open for some reason so this whole chapter was written in Google docs because I don't have any other kind of writing software on my computer that has spellcheck on it. Very paranoid that the NSA is reading my gay BDSM smut fic now. Hi, NSA.**

 **And no, you won't know the identity of Malik's mystery Domme for several chapters. As always, thank you to my Peggy for proofreading my product of sin, and Amira for enjoying the sin so much. If you enjoyed this chapter or you just like this whole fic, don't forget to leave a review telling me so! I thrive off your feedback and each and every comment motivates me to write the next chapter! ;D**

Malik had been a part of the BDSM scene* since before he'd even graduated high school, technically speaking. He supposed it had always been a part of him, ever since he'd stumbled upon some of the "weirder" porn selections when he was younger. What else was a budding teenage boy with an unlimited internet connection to do but go to every virus-ridden porn site Google suggested to him? He'd just type in 'porn' in most cases, too embarrassed to search things that he was actually into at the time. One result brought him to a BDSM site, and it wasn't even a dramatization to say that it changed his life forever.

A woman in a leather corset holding a whip greeted him on the home page. Like most boys his age, a woman in _anything_ revealing holding _anything_ slightly phallic was sexy to him, so he delved deeper into the site in an attempt to find more. He was met with videos of women in outrageously uncomfortable looking latex outfits leading men in masks around on leashes and taking them with strapons. Men in leather chaps putting collared women over their knees and hitting their ass and thighs with riding crops. Men dripping hot wax on another man's rope-bound body. Women clamping clothes pins on another woman's breasts and laughing when she screamed around the gag in her mouth.

At the time Malik had been disgusted and turned off and even a little scared, taking all the scenes at face value and connecting it all to the misconceptions about BDSM he'd absorbed from various media. That it was all about pain, that it was just an excuse to abuse and sexually assault your partner, that it was sodomy and blah blah blah. He wasn't aware of all the trust that went into each and every relationship, how much negotiation and discussions had to happen before any riding crops or clothes pins even touched skin.

And yet… Even then something about it was fascinating. If one was to ask Malik of the past in what way, he would compare each video to a train wreck. "It's horrible, but you can't look away." However, if the present Malik was asked the same question, he would smirk and say something about presence and auras. That he'd always loved seeing the commanding presence the Doms and Dommes had about them, something in their posture and voice that made you want to obey them, and not even from fear. Just...respect. It was hard to describe, even for Malik now a days. But whatever it was that intrigued him, it sucked him in hard and fast and soon BDSM porn was the only kind he was watching on those lonely nights. Despite getting off to it, he denied ever enjoying or condoning it.

Skip to his freshman year of college when he finally lost his virginity. It hadn't been romantic by any means, just him and a junior girl he was vaguely acquainted with falling on top of each other after a few too many drinks at a party. It had been unexpected, but it had been consensual, and from that Malik's first D/s* relationship bloomed. She'd been assertive, almost aggressive, biting and scratching and using her pantyhose to tie his hands to the bedposts. Maybe it was because it was his first sexual encounter ever, maybe it was just because that girl had been really fucking good in bed. Either way they found themselves exchanging numbers the next day, and calling one another up whenever they were horny.

At first, the sex was fairly vanilla. Malik would be chained in fuzzy handcuffs once in awhile, sometimes there would even be a blindfold thrown into the mix. Dirty talking, biting, and scratching were all on the regular menu, but nothing too over the top. Somewhere along the lines, though, the girl began asking about things typically considered more kinky. Ice cubes, spanking, costumes, feathers, collars… Those were all things his partner asked about including in their next romp, and Malik, unaware of her motives, generally always agreed.

It wasn't until she blatantly asked him outright if he knew anything about BDSM that he realized what she was trying to do, that she was trying to incorporate that... _stuff_ into their sex routine. His mind flashed back to those porn videos he'd watched in high school, and he shared the misinterpretations he had about alternative sex. She'd quickly shut him down and corrected him, assuring him that these relationships, even the more extreme ones, were all consensual. That the community shamed and criticized anyone who used their power as a Dominant to abuse someone. He hadn't believed her at first, but she told him to do his own research outside of porn sites and to contact her again when he understood the difference between BDSM and abuse.

He wasn't going to at first. Why should he do research about something so weird, so...so _wrong_? Just so he could be pressured into weird pain sex with a woman he wasn't even romantic with? Yeah, right. He was content to just stew in his own little bubble until one very important little detail returned to him. With all the things she had brought into their sex, she had always asked him if he was okay with it before it even came close to entering the bedroom. If he said he wasn't okay with something, she could forget about it and wouldn't bring it up again. If he did say he was okay with it, she would triple check to make sure he was 100% okay with it. She was assertive, yes, that was just her nature; but she had never actually pressured him or forced him to do anything he didn't want to do.

With that in mind, and his rekindled interest for the world of BDSM growing, he grabbed his laptop and typed the acronym into his search bar.

Several hours of reading later, everything his partner had told him was confirmed by multiple, if not dozens, of sources. That everything was consensual, from whips to clothespins to slaps on the face. Abusers were demonized among the majority of the community. Communication and trust and negotiations were more important to a scene than the bondage and pain presented in porn. And, he found out, pain didn't even have to be a part of it. One could enjoy the bondage part -which he did, a lot- and nothing else and still be part of the community. It was an amazing revelation, and it took a day or two to fully digest this information and realize he was wrong. In the meantime he continued reading, exploring each branch of BDSM separately, finding out a little bit about himself along the way. While he was nervous, and a bit reluctant, he wouldn't mind incorporating some of the tamer stuff like bondage and vibrators into their usual sex routine.

Skip forward another year, and Malik found himself blindfolded on the floor, arms bound in a leather sleeve behind his back, begging for more as his Mistress pounded his ass with her strap on. It had been a slow and steady progression since the day he'd called her and admitted he was wrong.

Their relationship went back to normal after that, and he'd been the one to bring up bondage a few days later, saying he wanted to try it out with ropes instead of fuzzy handcuffs. Despite her eagerness to share her interests with him she'd been very respectful of the boundaries he'd set in place, never once infringing on a single one. Each shout of their safeword was respected immediately, each time he seemed uncomfortable she would check in with him, and she encouraged him to really research something he'd seen before trying it out. All the while Malik was the one who pushed the relationship forward, wanting to try out more and more, until he he was genuinely excited to be punished by his Mistress.

Even so, the relationship had to end. There came a point where Malik grew tired of submission. He wanted to try being the Dominant for once, and though his partner was willing, she didn't enjoy it as much. It wasn't that Malik was doing it wrong or causing her bad pain, she just wasn't into giving up her control to anyone, or being punished or humiliated. It caused a strain in their relationship; both wanting to Dom but neither wanting to submit. Eventually they realized they were no longer compatible, and they broke up on friendly terms. They still talked to each other for a while, met up for coffee once a month to catch up. But then she found herself a new sub, and their coffee dates became infrequent, she began returning his calls less and less. Around the same time he began frequenting clubs and meet-up apps, trying to find a sub for himself. He had a couple here and there, both men and women, but they never lasted more than a few months, as they very rarely had anything in common outside of BDSM. It got tiring after a while, having to go through limits and boundaries each and every time for someone who might not even be around at the end of the month. So he just stopped searching.

Seto was the exception.

Malik handed Seto a glass of juice and a pack of crackers, sitting beside him and grabbing up the first aid kit he'd retrieved earlier. He'd been part of the scene for so long, aftercare* had become second nature to him. He knew all about subspace and subdrop*, having experienced them both quite often, and he always did his best to provide his subs with acceptable aftercare. He always provided lots of cuddling and snuggling to make them feel loved, food to take care of their blood sugar levels, and always administered some form of first aid no matter how minor their injuries were. As was the case now. Once he'd released Seto and removed his collar and cuffs, he'd wrapped the man in his arms and peppered his cheeks with butterfly kisses. He'd asked if Seto was okay, really _really_ okay, and once he'd been assured he was, he asked if there was anything Seto hadn't enjoyed. Seto had told him it had all been just fine; the 'Master' part had been a little disconcerting at first, but once he'd started saying it he'd really enjoyed it. Malik accepted his answer with a happy hum, but he still had plans to tone it down and offer Seto some training since it had been hard for him to handle ten swats.

Once they'd cuddled a bit longer, Malik had left to get him something to eat and drink. He usually kept a bottle of water and some fruit snacks in his drawer so he didn't have to leave his room, but it had been so long since he'd had a sub, he discarded them and never got around to replacing them.

Thankfully Seto had been alright on his own, and didn't seem like he would be experiencing subdrop any time soon. In fact, he didn't seem to be having any negative side effects at all. He was tired and achey, yes, but he was all there, aware of everything that happened and having enjoyed every second of it.

Malik took out some antibiotic ointment and squeezed a drop onto a cotton ball. "This might sting a little," he warned before rubbing it onto one of the many scratches crisscrossing Seto's back. Seto hissed and pulled back, glaring at him as if he'd been slapped. However, the half eaten cracker between his lips made the look comical, and Malik chuckled. "I warned you. Now try to hold still. I don't want these getting infected."

Seto rolled his eyes, looking as if he wanted to complain but not having the strength. He continued to eat his crackers and drink his juice, doing his best to ignore the sting of the ointment on his scratches. Malik hadn't broken his skin, that he was aware of, so he didn't understand why they hurt so much unless Malik was using some kind of acid. The thought, though random and uncharacteristic, made him chuckle.

Malik raised an eyebrow at him, almost done with his back. "What are you laughing at?"

Seto only shook his head. "Nothing."

Malik hummed skeptically, moving around and sitting in front of Seto so he could reach his chest. He eyed his handiwork proudly, loving how much the bright red scratches contrasted with Seto's pale, pale skin. He couldn't wait to see bruises and flogger marks there too, if he ever got that far.

Rubbing antibiotic ointment on scratches was such a practiced happening to Malik that within a couple more minutes he was through, each and every scratch or bite covered with a generous amount of the germ-killing cream.

After throwing away the used cotton balls and placing the bottle of ointment back in his first aide kit, he looked up at Seto, seeing he was almost done with his snack. "Once you're done with that, I need you to lay down on your stomach," he said, collecting all the gear he'd used during their scene and grabbing an antibiotic wipe from the kit now. Better safe than sorry.

Seto frowned at the order, not enjoying being bossed around outside of a scene. "Why?" he asked suspiciously, unsure if Malik had more planned or if it was really an innocent request.

"So I can put lotion on your ass," Malik answered without hesitation, pointing to the bottle of lotion on his bedside table.

"...Why?"

Now Malik rolled his eyes, looking up from his current task of wiping his gear down. "Because it'll help the sting go away and you won't chafe."

Seto still looked suspicious but did as he was told once he finished his snack. He laid down, relieved to get off his sore butt for a while, and criss crossed his arms over Malik's pillows like he was getting ready for a rubdown of sunscreen. Malik finished cleaning his gear and left it out to dry, then grabbed up the lotion and settled down beside Seto on the bed. Squirting some lotion into his hand, he didn't bother warming it up before smearing it onto Seto's red, splotchy skin.

"Ah!" Seto flinched at the chill, shooting him another glare over his shoulder. Malik just laughed and used light pressure to rub the lotion in, going slow so as to not cause Seto anymore unneeded pain.

"Does it at least help with the sting?" he asked after most of the lotion was rubbed in, spreading the excess down Seto's thighs. Seto hummed an acknowledgement, eyes closed and body relaxed.

Happy with that half answer, Malik got up again to wipe his hands off, checking the time while he was up. It was nearing eight o'clock, and he could barely believe they'd spent so long talking about limits and sceneing. They'd arrived here around four, hadn't they? The time had just flown by. Sharing the time with Seto he sat back down on the edge of his bed, running his fingers through his hair.

Seto hummed again, softer this time. "Good thing I called Mokuba when I did… He would've called the cops on me by now." He made a soft, amused noise and turned onto his side so he could look up at Malik.

Malik offered a smile before averting his eyes, playing with the fitted hem of his sheets. "I guess that means you'll be going home soon, huh?" The words sounded a bit dejected, but he tried hard to keep it casual. He wasn't ready to say goodbye just yet. Maybe in another hour, or even the next morning…

Seto seemed to feel the same, but he didn't say as much. He only laid his head down on Malik's pillow and closed his eyes.

"I don't think I'm in any condition to drive home right now. And before you ask, both because I'm tired and my ass hurts." Malik smirked at that. "So if it's alright with you I'd like to stay a little longer to get my strength back up."

"Or you could just spend the night," Malik offered with a shrug, trying to once again keep his tone casual.

"Hm… If you'll have me," Seto responded, just getting more comfortable on the mattress. Malik grinned at the answer.

"I've already had you."

"Shut up," came Seto's tired scoff, though Malik could tell he was amused by the small, lopsided smirk on Seto's lips. His eyes were closed already, and he hid a yawn in Malik's pillow. Malik's grin softened slightly, and he combed his fingers through Seto's hair.

"I'm assuming you don't want to sleep on the couch or in the guest bedroom, hmm?"

"Malik, I don't even want to _move_ right now."

"Alright." Malik pulled the blankets up over Seto, bending to kiss his temple. "Go on to sleep. I have to get all our dishes and my gear cleaned up and put away, but then I'll join you, alright?"

Seto hummed and nodded, letting Malik know he'd heard him. After running his fingers through Seto's hair once more Malik stood and left the room.

 ***The (BDSM) scene:** Usually used to refer to the BDSM community as a whole. Ex: "Mallory is new to the scene, so Aubrey told her to stay far, far away from 50 Shades of Grey."

 ***D/s:** Dominant/submissive or Dominance/submission. Play or a relationship that includes an erotic power exchange.

 **Aftercare:** Time after a BDSM scene where participants have the chance to calm down, talk about what they liked/disliked about the scene, take care of any injuries anyone sustained, and allow for endorphins to come down to a normal level. Failure to provide aftercare for a sub can lead to subdrop, self hatred, feeling dirty, ashamed, or immoral for their interests, or even trauma if the scene was very intense. Doms also get the chance to reassure the sub of their feelings, as some intense scenes may leave the sub feeling unloved or unwanted. That said, not all subs want or need aftercare, and if they choose to be alone after a scene, it's better to let them be.

 **Subspace:** A natural high that subs experience during a scene due to the release of endorphins. They may feel disconnected from time, space, and their body; may feel as though they and their Dom are the only things that exist anymore; and may even have limited ability to communicate, thus rendering safe words useless. A dom needs to be aware of their sub if they enter subspace, as the sub won't register their own physical limits and could end up with an injury.

 **Subdrop:** The "crash and burn" after the natural high of subspace, due to the time it takes to recover the endorphins released during play. Generally associated with cold or flu-like symptoms such as aches and fatigue, but can also lead to depression. Aftercare can usually prevent this, but it's different for everyone, and some people experience subdrop regardless.


	8. Roommate

**i'm sorry this chapter took so, so long to get out! i told you it would update sporadically lol. up until chapter 6 i knew exactly what i wanted to write, so it wasn't too hard to get it all typed up. but this chapter...phew. it was tough. i wrote about a paragraph a week for a while, then just stopped writing altogether for a while until inspiration struck last night and i wrote the rest in one sitting. i'm not too happy with a few paragraphs here and there but i was so desperate to get it out i don't care.**

 **shoutout to my friend hikari this time for proofreading!**

* * *

Seto had always been an early riser for as long as he could remember. It didn't matter how late he'd fallen asleep or how many hours of sleep he actually got, he'd still be up and awake and preparing a pot of coffee by six AM. So when he awoke the next day it was still dark outside, not even a hint of moonlight peeking through the curtains, and Seto wasn't surprised to see the clock read half-past 5 in the morning. Even so, the room was awash with a muted purple glow from a string of Christmas lights that hung up around the room. Dim enough to sleep with, but bright enough to light up the dark corners of the room.

Seto let his head fall back to the pillow with a stifled groan. He _hurt_. His shoulders were tight, his arms and wrists were sore, his back full of kinks and _god damn_ , did his ass sting. He hadn't expected the aftermath of a scene to ache this much, and he wished he'd had had enough energy to take a hot bath before letting himself doze off. Nevertheless, he had no regrets. Sure, he might have hesitated here and there, and he might have been uncertain if he would be able to submit the way he wanted to, but once he had started it had come naturally to him. It felt even better than he imagined, letting someone else be in control for once, and he couldn't imagine having sex any other way. That sense of helplessness at the hands of another…that was all he'd wanted to feel for years, and now thanks to Malik, that desire was satiated.

…At least for the time being.

He lay there silently for several minutes, thinking over the scene again and again, as if trying to relive every last second. It hadn't lasted as long as he thought it would, nor did it contain as much as he hoped it would, but it had still been amazing. Fuck, the way Malik had spoken to him alone could turn him on; Malik didn't need to do much more than call him a good boy and bite his neck and he was ready to go.

Even the memories themselves were enough to get him riled up, and when he realized he was starting to get hard again he cursed under his breath. How embarrassing…

Attempting to stretch out in a way that wasn't painful or too stimulating, Seto became very aware of the other presence in the bed. He glanced over his shoulder, not surprised to see Malik cuddled up against his back, an arm slung haphazardly over Seto's waist. Seto's brow rose, curious as to when and _how_ he'd allowed himself to be the little spoon.

Turning over slowly to as not to disturb his partner, Seto faced Malik, their noses almost touching as Seto settled back down into bed. He studied the other intently, the way his eyelashes fluttered and his eyelids twitched as he dreamed, the little curl of a smile on his lips despite being asleep. He wore a peaceful expression, chest rising and falling evenly with his breath, his hair in a manageable bun to keep it from tangling as he slept. In the purple glow of the Christmas lights he looked otherworldly and dare Seto think even _godly_ , and he felt the need to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He didn't, but he felt like doing it.

He knew it had happened, but he was still catching up to the fact that he and Malik had finally met face to face, and even had sex after their first date. It planted a warm, fuzzy feeling he couldn't identify somewhere between his stomach and cock. Like a mixture of joy and lust. Odd, but not unwelcome.

"Fuck you, Flowey!"

The shout came unexpectedly, and Seto looked up, startled. What –who?- in the world was that? Glancing at Malik to see if the shout had woken him up, he sighed when the man remained dead to the world. He dressed himself in his clothes from last night despite them being wrinkled from being on the floor, almost wishing he'd considered bringing an overnight bag with spare clothing.

After unlocking the door with the key he'd seen Malik use to lock it he left the room, finding the stairs easily enough and descending down them. He could still hear noises -grunting and growling and more curses, but nothing substantial. Nothing that told him who it was. When he entered the living room and saw another man parked on the sofa, hunched over the laptop perched on the coffee table he wouldn't really say he was surprised to see him. What else would have made those noises? Although he was surprised to see that Malik had forgotten to tell him he apparently had a roommate.

The man hadn't noticed him yet, far too caught up in whatever game he was currently trying to beat to feel the other's presence behind him. Glancing over his shoulder gave Seto no indication of what the game was; all he saw was a creature that looked like someone had badly Photoshopped a human, machine, and plant together. Every second there was some new attack the man had to avoid and, despite his best efforts to avoid them, he died.

"Oh my _God!_ " The man shrieked, throwing up his hands. If this was the norm, Seto was shocked Malik managed to get any sleep at all. The man continued cursing as he was just thrust right back into the game, but Seto didn't stick around to see if he beat the boss this time. He just wandered into the kitchen, suppressing a yawn as he glanced around. Certain Malik wouldn't care if he brewed himself some coffee, he set about making a pot, a bit put off that these two didn't seem to keep any beans on stock. All he found was cheap grounds.

After a few minutes of watching the coffee brew, he heard shuffling behind him followed by a soft gasp and he glanced over his shoulder. The nameless gamer man seemed to be taking a break from his infuriating boss fight and had come in for a snack. Seto supposed his unexpected company had startled him.

"Hello," he greeted formally, not sure how to act in this situation. He'd never stayed the night after a one night stand before, and he'd never had to meet the family and/or roommates after the fact either.

"…Hi," the gamer said at length, looking wary. "I suppose you're Mr. K?"

"Mr. K?"

"You were the one Malik had a date with yesterday, right?"

"Yes."

"Malik calls you Mr. K. To protect your 'not-so-innocence', as he puts it," the gamer said with a smirk, moving over to the fridge. He dug around inside, pulling out some chocolate milk. "I guess he never thought we'd meet face to face," he continued rather casually despite the situation.

"Malik never said he had a roommate," Seto said abruptly. It wasn't like that bothered him, just that Malik hadn't bothered to tell him.

"Malik never told me he was sexting with Seto Kaiba," came the gamer's half-hearted response as he climbed onto the counter to reach a higher shelf, which appeared to house the two's cereal selection. It was Seto's turn to eye him warily.

"Who are you?"

"Ryou Bakura. Charmed, I'm sure."

Seto hummed noncommittally, not bothering to respond as he searched the cupboards for a mug and poured himself some of the finished coffee. Taking a cautious sip of the hot drink, he grimaced at the taste and watched as Ryou poured Fruit Loops into a bowl and topped it off with chocolate milk. By Ryou's laugh, he'd seen Seto's look of disgust.

"It's not as bad as it looks, I promise." Ryou sat down and started eating, but Seto didn't join him at the table, content to stand where he was by the coffee machine, leaning his hip on the counter. They were silent for a long time, Ryou munching on his cereal and Seto sipping his coffee, and Seto would have preferred it stay that way. He had nothing to say to this man, and he didn't want to answer the potentially awkward questions Ryou might have about his and Malik's relationship. Ryou, thankfully, seemed to feel the same way.

Seto was almost done with his coffee when he saw Malik shuffling into the kitchen, eyes half closed and hair disheveled despite the bun he'd tucked it into. He wore only an oversized t-shirt so long Seto wondered if he'd forgotten to put anything on under his shirt; that is, until he saw the flash of blue underwear when Malik raised his hand to retrieve a mug from the cupboard. He didn't say a word to either man as he poured the coffee, adding only a scoop of sugar before downing it in a few quick gulps. Ryou seemed used to this routine. Seto just felt awkward at the lack of acknowledgment.

It took another half cup before Malik even seemed to realize there were other people in the room. He offered Seto a smile since he was closer. "Mornin' guys."

Ryou responded with a hum, his mouth full. Seto smirked back.

"Good morning to you, too."

Malik smiled a little as he refilled his mug, adding creamer this time. He leaned against the counter beside Seto, their arms brushing whenever either of them moved. Malik seemed to be neutral to this, though Seto's nerve endings were alight.

"I see you've met my roommate," Malik continued, speaking into the mug as he took yet another drink. His tone was neutral, and Seto wondered if Malik realized he'd forgotten to tell him about Ryou.

"Yes. He has quite a colorful vocabulary."

Malik raised a questioning eyebrow. Ryou blushed as he stared into his cereal. "I could hear him yelling at his game all the way up in your room," Seto explained, and Ryou looked like he was begging his Fruit Loops to swallow him up.

"You stayed up all night playing games again?" Malik asked, sounding incredulous and even a bit like a disappointed parent. The fact that Ryou scoffed like an overly dramatic teenager made Seto chuckle, but he hid the sound in his coffee cup.

"I work the night shift. 4AM is like, my 6PM. Besides, I am so close to beating this game, I think I'm at the final boss right now."

Malik just shook his head and looked at Seto. "Can you believe him?"

"Not my place to comment," came Seto's reply.

Ryou and Malik continued arguing back and forth about games and sleep schedules and work, but Seto noticed it didn't get too heated and neither of them seemed to be actually annoyed with one another. He had to admit he was interested in knowing more about Malik's relationship with Ryou, if only because he was just now finding out about Ryou. He wondered if this was just how they fought, or if they were holding back because he was here.

Eventually Malik got Ryou to swear he would go right to bed after he beat this "Flowey" boss on his game, and once he was finished with his cereal he returned to the living room to finish up the fight. Once Seto could hear the distance sounds of the game being resumed, he looked at Malik, only to find the other smiling at him.

"What?" he asked, hoping he didn't have coffee on his lip or an embarrassing cowlick. Malik just smiled more and gingerly ran the pad of his thumb over a bruise on Seto's throat. Seto had to remind himself to breathe.

"Nothing, just remembering last night."

"Oh…"

Malik continued rubbing his fingers over the marks on Seto's throat, setting down his coffee so he could use both hands. His expression twisted a little as Seto flinched when he touched one of the darker bite marks. Seto was about to ask what was wrong when he asked, "How was last night?"

"Amazing," Seto said with no hesitation, confident in his answer. Malik studied him for a second, looking more serious than he had just a few moments ago.

"Was there anything you didn't like?"

Seto considered the question for a moment, seeming to understand why Malik was asking. He probably wanted to fine tune some future plans, or make sure he didn't do something Seto didn't like again. "Mm… No. Not really. Calling you Master threw me off, but only because I wasn't used to it. I've never called anyone Master before. But other than that, no."

"Are you sure, or are you just saying that to stroke my ego?"

Seto rolled his eyes, setting his own coffee down so he could place his hands on Malik's hips. "Mm, there are a lot of things of yours I want to stroke, but your ego is very low on that list."

Chuckling at this, Malik let his arms drape over Seto's shoulders. "Mm, alright. I'll take your word for it. And don't worry, I have a lot of plans that involve stroking."

Seto grinned at this, pulling Malik closer and dropping his head to brush their lips together. Malik sighed against his lips, craning his neck to press their lips more firmly together. It was slow and chaste, but only because Seto's phone began buzzing. He pulled back, surprised it hadn't fallen out of his pocket in his rush to take his clothes off last night, and he pulled it out and glanced at the screen. A message from Mokuba lit up the lock screen.

"Hm, seems my brother doesn't trust me to return on my own and is threatening to call the police if I don't come home before he goes to class." Seto chuckled softly; it was an empty threat, and his little brother's protectiveness was almost cute.

"Tell him you've been kidnapped by a fetishist who'll be using your body for all sorts of sexually immoral things," Malik purred back, but cried out when Seto actually began typing a reply. "No, don't! I was just joking!"

"I know," he hummed, and Malik calmed. "I'm just letting him know I'll be home soon and that the foul mouthed mechanic who likes rock and roll did not, in fact, try to kill me."

Malik laughed at this, stealing another quick kiss before pulling away. "You can use my shower if you want, and I think I might have some clean jeans that'll fit you. Unfortunately, I think all of my concealer is too dark to cover those hickies."

Seto raised an eyebrow, not looking up from his phone. "You _think_?"

Malik held up his hands in self-defense, leaving Seto to his texting as he went to retrieve some spare clothes. While he and Seto were similar heights, he didn't have much that would fit the other man. In the end he did find some of his older brother's pants from the last time he'd visited and had forgotten in the wash, and a blue sweater he never wore because the inside was itchy.

When he went to find Seto again, he found that the man had taken up his offer to use the shower, and he snuck in to place the spare clothes –along with a bag with the rest of his dirty clothes in and a surprise 'gift' hidden under his blazer- on the edge of the sink.

Half an hour later Seto was dry and dressed in the borrowed clothes, looking just as put off in the itchy sweater as Malik was. He was amused by this as he led Seto to the door, knowing he had to get going before his brother got much antsier. Making sure he had the bag, he walked Seto to his car.

"I had a lot of fun," he said as Seto pulled out his keys. The man smiled back.

"I did as well. I wouldn't mind doing this again soon."

"Next Saturday?"

"I'll pencil you in."

They chuckled and kissed again, but before Seto could say goodbye Malik put a finger to his lips. "I have homework for you."

"Oh? You never mentioned teacher roleplay."

"Hush, or I'll beat your ass with a ruler." He grinned when Seto grinned, tapping a finger against the bag Seto held. "I took the liberty of putting your instructions in there, as well as the…tools you'll need to complete your homework. I expect you to give me a very detailed report when we see each other again."

Seto hummed, eyes lidded as he imagined all the naughty things Malik might have him do. "Yes, Master."

Malik grinned, patted his butt, and watched him pull out of the driveway, feeling sadder than he should have as he watched Seto drive away.


	9. How Embarrassing

**Whoot whoot, backstory for Seto! :o it seems like I've got my mojo back for this story. And I bet it's only because I've been Suffering** ™ **irl. My inspiration always comes when I have to avoid issues in real life lol. Also, from now on, I'll be putting the author's comments at the bottom to avoid potential spoilers. Please still read them, they might be important! If you're one of those people who actually read the AC on fics, you are a lovely human being and you deserve lots of hugs.**

* * *

Seto didn't have any sort of elaborate backstory in regards to how he found out about his attraction to BDSM. At least, compared to some of the other stories he'd read on the forums his discovery was extremely lack luster. While other people had realized there was _something_ not quite right when they were disciplined by their teachers or held down while play-wrestling with their partners, or had _strange_ reactions when they were punished or bossed around, Seto had none of that. Some might have blamed his controlling adoptive father for it all, but Seto felt ill when he thought of that man inspiring a fetish within him. Besides, the true answer was simple. When he was a teenager, he'd "accidentally" broken the parental lock on his internet connection and had gone snooping around on shady sites, watching all the porn he could get his hormonal teenage eyes on and eventually finding the kinkier side of smut.

In a way, his introduction had been similar to Malik's, stumbling upon some BDSM videos while looking for regular vanilla porn like they had. However, he had a natural attraction to it, whereas he knew Malik had been adverse. While Malik shied away from and denied his reactions to the actions he saw leather-clad kinksters committing, Seto embraced it. He welcomed it, he researched it, he _enjoyed_ it.

He started experimenting when he was 16. Using a gift card to an unregulated online store he'd ordered a small bundle of discreet toys, and he bound himself with duct tape, silk ties, and shoelaces. It was awkward at first, and he only did it in the dead of night when he knew for certain no one would walk in on him. He wasn't allowed a lock on his door, and he had to be careful.

Over the next year he grew skilled at self-binding, learning what knots were easiest to tie in awkward positions, were easy to untie, but also held him tight and didn't come undone when he struggled. He learned how to control his breathing and stay silent through orgasm. Then he had the idea to appropriate the attic space his family and servants never used and made it into a little play den all for himself, safe away from the other bedrooms and doors that didn't lock. There, he was really able to experiment with what he liked and disliked.

Just before he turned 18, his adoptive father died under very sudden and mysterious circumstances, and the family business was thrust into his unwilling hands. Seto always knew he'd have to take over one day, but he'd figured he'd be well into his 30s when that happened, at least. Not so soon, and not so unexpectedly. Pleasure took back burner as he focused all his time and energy on keeping his new company afloat, revamping all the old, outdated policies and defending it from competitors eager to buy it off him when he got over his head.

Luckily for Seto, his adoptive father had pushed and even downright forced him to study everything related to business, not wanting his son to fail after he was dead. And, luckily for the business, Seto had a natural talent for the business side of things and, by the time he was 20, had completely revamped the old weapons manufacturing company into a toy company. He cared little for what Gozaburo's more loyal business partners and their competitors thought; Seto was not interested in selling guns and tanks, and it was _his_ business now. Besides, business picked up with their more publicly available products, employee morale was high since they no longer had to work under Gozaburo, and their reputation was immaculate since distancing themselves from the weapons trade.

With everything going to smoothly, Seto allowed himself to get reacquainted with his old kinks. After tossing out his old toys he replaced them with newer, higher quality models, and traded in ties and shoelaces for silk scarves and ropes. Self-binding was just as good as he remembered it being, maybe even more since his hormones were finally leveling out.

It was around this time where he also started experimenting with other people. While he knew no one could match his new cuff set paired with The Master Impaler, he was eager to see what all the fuss was about.

His first partner had been the daughter of a business associate. They'd met at a dinner party another business partner threw for Seto in celebration of a successful product launch. Though there wasn't much attraction personality wise, they were both into each other's bodies, and were flirting over dessert by end of the night. Later that week found them tangled together in bed, losing their virginity together. It wasn't at all like Seto expected; vanilla sex always seemed so tame and boring to BDSM sex by comparison, so he'd expected it to be just that. In a way it was, but hearing another person's moans and feeling another person's hands on his body was more than enough to entice him into a second round later that same day. Even still, once they developed a routine, Seto grew bored.

Their relationship was purely sexual. They rarely spoke to each other out of bed, and Seto thought even using "fuck buddies" to describe their relationship was generous. They were both just looking to get off, romance and friendship and even civility outside the bedroom be damned. Looking back Seto knew that was the reason why, when he broached the subject of BDSM, she'd slapped him and walked right out the door without even bothering to say goodbye before disappearing from his life completely. Though Seto was disappointed at the loss of his "fuck buddy" and pissed that she'd slapped him, he moved on easily since they lacked any emotional connection. Besides, there were more fish in the sea.

He had a small handful of more failed relationships after that, both men and women, both sexual and romantic, but he'd given up hope of finding someone who could dominate him as well as he dominated himself. After all these people, it seemed like the best he could hope for was letting his male partners pull his hair while they fucked him from behind. Rough vanilla sex wasn't _horrible_ , and it did get him off in the end, and sometimes if he held his wrists a certain way it was _almost_ like he was tied up; but it still wasn't enough. He wanted to be slapped around as foreplay, bound and gagged as he was fucked, and treated for injuries alongside post-sex cuddles. It was incredibly daunting to even think of bringing that up to any of his partners, so he never did.

After what happened the first time he asked a partner about trying out bondage, he was afraid to lose the others the same way. He didn't want to risk _good enough_ and end up with _nothing at all_. So he allowed himself to suffer in silence, getting more and more frustrated the longer he went without proper bondage, proper punishment. A slap on the ass every now and then meant nothing if there was no bite to it, and his requests for his partners to slap harder, no _harder!_ fell on deaf or worried ears.

Not even the people he found on hook-up apps could satisfy him. Even if they shared interests in ropes and whips, he was only ever contacted by other subs who wanted him to be their Dom. It was infuriating since he'd listed his preference _right there on his profile_ , and no one seemed to even bother reading his extremely detailed list of turn ons. If he found a Dominant himself, they either weren't interested because his lack of experience, or were put off by his high expectations and standards.

He only actually got together with two people from that app before giving up on online dating completely. The first, an older woman with charming smile lines, invited him to the park so they could discuss a potential scene. It went well, and Seto was eager for the scene they had talked about. However, she didn't tell Seto before meeting face to face that she already had two collared* subs and often shared them with her husband. Needless to say, as soon as Seto found out, he left.

The second Dom was actually someone he went to high school with. Imagine his panic when he received a message from someone he thought he'd never see again, not only on a hookup app of all things, but also with his sexual preferences listed publicly for him to see. And oh, he had seen them alright. His first message gave Seto chills just reading it.

" _Well, well, Seto Kaiba. Fancy meeting you here. You're into BDSM?"_

God, he couldn't list all the ways he wanted to tell this man to fuck off. Eventually he settled on _politely_ asking him what the fuck he wanted.

" _Whoa, simmer down. I'm not here to start something with you. I was actually wondering if you were still looking for a Dom :)"_

Somehow that didn't surprise Seto has much as he thought it would. He remembered this man wearing collars back in high school; he'd just assumed he'd be a sub, if anything. Once Seto had calmed down enough to legitimately consider having kinky sex with one of his old classmates, he replied to the message; _"Yes."_

Since they already knew each other, they didn't bother with formalities. They got right into discussing limits and kinks, and even started planning on meeting to discuss sceneing in person. Their next day off, they met at a little diner with a notebook ready. The meeting was more awkward than they thought it would be, after knowing each other from school as long as they had. Somehow they managed to push through it and developed a quick narrative for their scene, and decided to act it out their next day off.

And _God_ , was it good. Seto hadn't anticipated his old classmate to be so ferocious, so dominant, and the marks he'd left on Seto's body stayed with him for days afterwards. Even if the sex was good, they still couldn't escape the awkwardness that followed once a scene was over. They only met once more before deciding it was a mistake to get involved with each other, and they parted ways.

It was, in some ways, a miracle he'd met Malik when he did. He'd almost given up BDSM all together, accepting that he'd never find a Dom that could satisfy him and surrendering himself to a life of agonizingly boring, just _good enough_ vanilla sex. It was by complete chance that he'd found that BDSM forum, and he almost didn't make an account in the first place. But God, was he glad he did.

* * *

When Seto returned home to the mansion he shared with his brother and 20-odd servants, he was relieved to see Mokuba's car still parked in the rounded cobblestone driveway. That meant he hadn't gone to class yet. Parking behind, he grabbed his briefcase and the bag Malik had given him before leaving his car. Studying the bag, he remembered that Malik had said he'd put _homework_ inside for him to complete, and he tried to imagine just what kind of assignment his new Dom would give him on the first day.

His ever vigilant butler opened the door for him as he approached, and he nodded an acknowledgement as he entered the mansion. Glancing around the large entryway, he was reminded of just how large this mansion was, and how small Malik's house was. He found himself chuckling under his breath at this –they broke the mainstream D/s stereotype well. A power hungry CEO submitting to someone who had little business influence over anyone else. He could almost hear the vanilla people gasping in shock.

Setting his briefcase down by the coat rack, he turned his attention back to the bag, curiosity growing each second he looked at it. He'd just begun to lift his folded blazer to peek underneath when Mokuba appeared around the corner.

"Hey!" The shout surprised him, and he nearly dropped the bag. He opened his mouth to greet his brother, but was cut off instead.

"Wow, you look like hell." Mokuba's eyes strayed down to Seto's throat, where the bite marks and hickeys from last night were still clearly visible, and he cringed. Seto frowned and covered them with his hand.

"Thanks. For the record, I feel amazing."

"Ew. TMI."

Seto shrugged, giving the bag to a passing maid and telling her to take it to his room ASAP. He didn't want to risk Mokuba finding his homework, so he motioned for the boy to follow him to the kitchens. After alerting his chef they'd be eating breakfast today, they sat across from each other in the breakfast nook just outside the main kitchens.

"You're still in your pajamas," Seto noted after a moment, wanting to dodge any awkward questions Mokuba might ask about his date with Malik. "I thought you had a class."

"I do in about an hour. Those aren't your clothes," Mokuba responded, the latter part sounding accusatory.

"I never claimed they were."

Mokuba looked like he wanted to say more, but Seto looked at him in warning. He didn't want to hear it. He knew his brother was just being protective and coming from a good place, and Seto knew he himself wouldn't take too kindly to Mokuba spending the night with someone he barely knew and coming home with bruises on his neck. But he was older than Mokuba too, and far more experienced, and he could judge whether or not a situation was bad or dangerous.

Another maid arrived with a pot of coffee –hand ground coffee beans, _of course_ \- and some paperwork in a manila envelope, and he sighed as he took it. Probably more merging proposals from rival companies that he wasn't interested, from the look of it. He poured himself a cup of coffee and began reading it over. The coffee he had at Malik's hadn't kicked in yet, and his sore muscles were distracting him, and only a paragraph in he sighed and set the papers aside for later.

Breakfast arrived; eggs comtesse, a spinach quiche, strawberry crepes, and coffee cake. More than enough for the two of them to fill their plates, but it wasn't like they couldn't afford to leave leftovers for the staff. The two sat in silence as they ate, the sound of their forks cutting through food to ding against their plates the only sound in the room. Every now and then Mokuba would look up like he wanted to speak, but decided against it.

Their plates were taken away before he finally seemed to draw the courage to speak.

"Seto, I know you're an adult and you can make your own decisions, but that doesn't keep you from making stupid decisions."

Seto narrowed his eyes at his brother, a silent warning to be quiet. Mokuba relented slightly, turning his scolding tone to a worried one. "All I want to know is if this guy hurt you."

"No," Seto lied, having to take a drink to hide his sideways glance.

"You're covered in bruises!"

"They're just hickies. It's not like I've never come home with them before."

"But not like _that_. Not with bite marks."

Seto had to resist slamming his cup down, getting frustrated. He knew this reaction was tame compared to what Mokuba would do if he found out Malik had tied Seto up and paddled him, but the questions still annoyed and embarrassed him. This wasn't what he wanted to talk about first thing in the morning with his little brother, but he knew Mokuba wouldn't concede until he quelled his worries. "Okay, fine. Yes, he bit me a little, but I wanted him to. You think I'd tolerate someone bruising me like this if I didn't want it?"

"But why would you want something like that?"

For a moment, Seto humored the thought of telling Mokuba all about his BDSM inclinations. It would do him good to finally have someone to talk about it with that wasn't Malik or another forum member. But he pushed that thought away, knowing that even if Mokuba was okay with the BDSM, they'd both be too awkward to talk about it. Seto had barely been able to stumble his way through the sex talk when Mokuba was 15 before giving up out of sheer embarrassment and linking Mokuba to some online sex ed courses. Since then, this was the first time they'd really talked about anything sexual past the occasional joke or innuendo.

"I'm not having this talk with you, Mokuba," Seto said, standing out of sheer annoyance, ignoring the embarrassed heat in his cheeks. "We both know that it won't help to explain it. All you need to know is that I'm being safe, and everything Malik and I have done so far has been _consensual_. You don't have to worry."

Mokuba didn't look entirely convinced, but his expression showed that he was getting embarrassed by this conversation as well. "It's my job to worry."

Seto paused for a moment, considering Mokuba's words. That had been something Seto had said to Mokuba a hundred times by now, and to hear it parroted back like that was…odd. He sighed, ruffling Mokuba's hair. "That's only half of your job. The other job is to be an annoying thorn in my side."

Despite the harsh words, Mokuba smiled, knowing it was a joke. He gave his brother a shove, and Seto shoved him back. "You promise it's all consensual?"

Seto nodded and pulled back to grab his coffee and paperwork. "Yes, I promise. You don't need to worry."

"You know," Mokuba began, watching Seto collecting his things. "One of these days I'm going to need to meet this Malik guy."

Seto hummed, thinking it over. "Maybe someday. But not right now. You have a class to get ready for."

Mokuba glanced at his phone, cursing when he saw the time. "I'm gonna be late!" As he scrambled up and ran off to change, Seto chuckled, shaking his head. Then he remembered Mokuba's Sundays were always busy, full of class and study groups and general hanging out, and he grinned to himself. He'd have the place all to himself, bar the servants, until this afternoon. Plenty of time to work on Malik's homework.

* * *

 ***Collared:** A submissive who is "owned" by their Dominant, usually (but not exclusively) in a loving relationship.

 ***Dom/Dominant/Domme:** I didn't mention it before because I assumed it was common knowledge, but a Dom/Dominant is a person who exercises control over a submissive. It's a gender-neutral term for the most part and a lot of younger female Doms prefer using it over _Domme_ , which is a dominant role that is usually associated with traditional femininity (Domme was coined as the female equivalent of Dom). Same with Dominatrix. What a Dom calls themselves has little to do with gender or gender presentation, and usually determined by personal preference.

 ***Submissive:** A person who gives up control for a specified amount of time.

 ***Vanilla:** I also didn't mention this before, but vanilla sex is just sex that lacks BDSM aspects. A vanilla person is someone who is not into BDSM. Within the community it's used derogatorily, and it's the same to some extent in this fic in certain contexts. (That said I don't hate vanilla people (why would I?) I just wish they'd stop writing books and making movies about BDSM without even researching it first)

 **Bottom ACs, yeah! Malik's mystery Domme will** _ **for sure**_ **come into play later, but Seto's first fuck buddy won't. As for Seto's second Dom, his identity isn't as mysterious as Malik's, but let's all just pretend we don't know who it is. And just so we're clear, Seto's first almost-Dom is not a bad Dom for having multiple subs with her husband. She's a bad Dom for not telling Seto about it before they met.**

 **also please don't look up the names of Seto's dildo. I just made it up and google images won't give you anything but random shit lol**


	10. Homework

**Please ignore any spelling mistakes in this, I wanted to post it before I had to leave for work work and it hasn't been proofread by anyone yet.**

* * *

Seto Kaiba was the master of self-bondage. Hell, he ought to be with seven years of experience under his belt. Over the years he had perfected each of the more well-known techniques, even invented his own, and hid his release methods so well it was as if a partner had done it for him. The rope always bit into his skin amazingly, holding him tight, forcing him into position and leaving him at the mercy of time. Despite the guaranteed release when he was done playing, the back up plans he set in place and the emergency precautions, his knots became so tight over the years it genuinely didn't feel like he was binding alone anymore. The only thing missing was another person to share the experience with and test his limits further; otherwise he'd be content to masturbate himself to blindness.

Thinking of this as he climbed to the second floor of his mansion, he tried to imagine how he might incorporate his favorite bondage positions with whatever type of homework Malik had assigned him. He was smart enough to know that those instructions and "tools" Malik had slipped in his bag would be sex toys and a guide for what Malik wanted him to do with them, and he grew excited the more he thought about what they might be, and what position would be the best to use them in.

Mokuba had left for class and he'd warned his servants not to disturb him unless it was an emergency. Even so, Seto locked his door automatically, a habit he'd developed since putting locks on his door after Gozaburo died.

The bag Malik gave him was sitting innocently on the corner of his bed, thankfully looking untouched and undisturbed by the maid who'd brought it up here. Seto grabbed it up and eagerly dug through his dirty clothes, finding a small black box. It was similar to the other small black box he had seen Malik with before they'd discussed their limits but, whereas that one was flat square, the one Seto held now was about the size of a tissue box. It was textured to resemble leather on the outside, and Seto found himself smirking at the appropriateness of the design.

Lifting the lid, Seto found it hard to contain his excitement as he pushed aside the purple tissue paper to reveal his "gift", already working through different scenarios and bondage positions depending on what awaited him in the box. Though, that fell through the he saw just what sat inside.

He'd expected butt plugs or dildos, maybe a cock ring or some nipple clamps –hell, some latex underwear was more predictable than… _this_.

At first, Seto didn't recognize it and couldn't make sense of the odd plastic contraption. It was a hollow tube, shaped like a flaccid penis with a wide slit at the tip, holes cut along the sides at equal intervals, and a ring at the base of it. It wasn't until he saw the padlock keeping it all together did he finally realize what it was.

"A chastity device*?" Even speaking to himself he sounded incredulous, on the verge of irritated. Here he was all excited for some new toys he could work into his usual self-bondage routine, already hard from imagining himself using said toys, and now he had to trap his dick inside a plastic cage for who knew how long? Not that he would have complained any other time –he did enjoy orgasm denial* from time to time, and had a chastity device of his own, though the one he owned was made of metal rings. It had just been the build-up, getting excited for all the devious ways he thought Malik would make him masturbate.

With a sigh, he glanced at the bulge in the pants Malik had loaned him. He wouldn't be getting into the device anytime soon; as hard as he was he'd just end up hurting himself if he tried. Setting the device aside he sat on the edge of the bed, taking the rest of the tissue paper out as if he hoped there was more underneath. Unsurprisingly, he found no other toys, but he did find a black envelope. Malik's instructions. Cracking the wax seal, he pulled out the folded paper inside.

The first thing he noticed as he studied the paper was that Malik's handwriting was _terrible._ Seto supposed he couldn't fault Malik for that, he knew Japanese was his second language, but that didn't make the messy hiragana characters any easier to read. Eventually he did make sense of it, and was able to reread it without pausing to try and decipher a word.

 _My pet, your Master wants you to wear this chastity device until the next time we meet. Know this; it is_ _ **not**_ _a punishment. Think of it as delayed gratification. I can't have you desensitizing yourself to stimulation by masturbating all week, after all, and I want you nice and sensitive for our next play date. With that said, every night before you fall asleep, I want you to think of me. Imagine me tracing my fingertips over your skin, and biting your neck just how you like it, and kissing your lips. But most of all, I want you to imagine me with my lips and tongue on your starved-for-attention cock, sucking you off after going so long without even the smallest touch._

 _Under no circumstances are you allowed to cum, or take off the device in order to masturbate. I've included one of the keys for emergencies –and no, blue balls are not an emergency! I trust you to see this through to the end and if you fail this 'assignment', I'll introduce you to my dungeon. I promise it will all be worth it._

Seto bit his lip as he finished reading over the note a second time. His erection had gone away while he was deciphering Malik's crude handwriting the first time, but now it was back full force, happy as ever to stand at attention just at the thought of Malik using that wicked mouth on him. He cursed and looked at the cock cage, wondering how on Earth he was going to survive the next week with his balls intact.

* * *

Aside from having to deal with the erections that followed his mandatory daydreams about Malik and having to sit to pee to keep from dribbling on himself, having to walk around with the plastic restraint on his dick was the worst thing about this entire assignment. He was always very aware of the weight situated between his legs, tugging at his sensitive skin with each step he took, and even when he wasn't hard all of his thoughts strayed to his penis sooner or later. He had never been so hyper-aware of his own dick before this; he was focused on it all the time, and yet it was useless to him now. He wanted to fuck everything, but he could fuck nothing. His balls were practically perpetually swollen.

If this _had_ been a punishment, Seto would never disobey again.

Seto sat at his desk, legs spread far wider than he usually had them to accommodate the cage. Even though he had experience with self-inflicted orgasm denial and chastity devices, he'd never worn his own device for longer than a day, and he'd never bothered with obligatory daydreams for the sole purpose of denying himself a quick wank and an orgasm. He knew in the end when Malik got to him it would all be worth it, but for right now the only silver lining was just that; meeting up again on Saturday and Malik finally taking the cage off of him.

When Seto had sent him a text complaining about his trapped cock on the first day, Malik had only replied with a short video of himself going down on a dildo. An obvious reminder of Seto's reward if he did as he was told and kept it on all week, but it had just made him hard again and somehow the plastic cage was more unrelenting and uncomfortable than his metal one, pressing around his swollen flesh to the point he wondered if it was too small. So he avoided mentioning his penis again.

And god, it was only Tuesday! He wouldn't be meeting with Malik for another four days! Seto had incredible willpower, but even he humored the idea of cheating and rubbing a quick one in the shower. He didn't, because he didn't want to disappoint Malik, but he'd thought about it.

Even his work suffered. Usually he was able to ignore whatever was on his mind long enough to focus on his paperwork, but with his mind so preoccupied with his dick he couldn't help but lose focus, make typos, stamp the wrong papers and misfile records. Half of him thought about taking a four day vacation, just to avoid as many mistakes as possible, but that would just make it worse. Without something to occupy his mind, he'd just sit at home, staring at his trapped and useless cock.

Not the ideal situation.

A knock on the door surprised him, and his secretary reminded him that he had a business meeting with the representatives of Vision Enterprises in a little less than an hour. With his mind preoccupied as it had been the last few days, it had completely slipped his mind, and he immediately began rummaging through the scattered files stacked on his desk to find his notes for the meeting.

Not the ideal situation at all.

* * *

Malik and Ryou didn't have a chance to talk until Wednesday night. On Sunday Malik had gone right back to sleep after seeing Seto off, complaining about how early it was. When he woke up that afternoon, Ryou had left to get groceries, and Malik spent his free time working on some side mechanic jobs. He was still at the garage when Ryou got home and didn't see him head to bed early, his late nights catching up to him. Monday and Tuesday, Ryou was still asleep when Malik went to work, and had gone to work himself before Malik got home. Thankfully they both had Wednesday off, and were finally able to catch each other at dinner.

They caught up on each other's work and social lives. Aside from the same old-same old of rotating stock and price checking, Ryou had the extreme pleasure of getting his hair pulled on not once, but _twice_ by two different teenagers who seemed convinced his hair was fake. Malik, on the other hand, had just been touching up this design he'd been working on for the last month and various other mechanic duties, and didn't have anything to report.

As far as social lives went, neither Ryou or Malik had many friends. For Ryou it wasn't for lack of trying; he'd had a lot of friends in high school and tried to keep up with them after graduation, but some moved, others got jobs, and the rest just lost contact. He still had a few, but they were usually too busy to hang out. As for Malik, he had friends, if he had to get technical. There _were_ people he knew that he genuinely enjoyed talking to and spending time with, but they didn't have much in common aside from their... _hobbies_. They weren't the kind of people who he'd want to just casually hang out with without the club to distract them. So neither of them had spent any times with friends that week. Malik had Seto now, but if Ryou was seeing anyone himself he said nothing about them.

When they were finished eating, Ryou washed the dishes while Malik put away the leftovers and cleaned the table off. They sat down to play some games together –Malik losing horribly, of course- and chat a little longer about nothing in particular. After one too many embarrassing deaths, Malik forfeited and just relaxed beside Ryou and watched him play on his own instead.

It wasn't long after he'd set his controller down that his phone buzzed in his pocket. Retrieving it, he studied the text he'd received with a wicked grin before typing a reply.

 _Seto: This is the worst. Are you sure it's not a punishment, Master?_

 _Malik: Oh, believe me pet, you'll known when I punish you._

Ryou must have seen the look out of the corner of his eye, because with a raised brow he asked, "Let me guess. Kaiba?"

"Mhmm."

Ryou nodded and turned back to his game, easily speaking while defending his base from enemies. "I have been meaning to ask you how it went with him. You guys seemed pretty chummy in the kitchen so I'm guessing it went well."

Malik nodded, only half paying attention as he sent Seto another text.

 _Seto: Is that a promise?_

 _Malik: Absolutely._

"It was _amazing_ , Ryou," he said after he'd hit send. "Seto was so responsive, and so eager to obey. It's just… he obviously hasn't had much experience as far as pain goes, and I'm kind of worried he's not being honest about his pain threshold." He didn't need to see Ryou's face to know he'd blanched. Just because Ryou was okay talking about it didn't mean he was really comfortable with some aspects of BDSM. "He said he had experience, but it's pretty obvious his previous Doms never got far with paddles and such. He could only handle 10, and even then I think it was too much. I'm thinking about omitting spanking and stuff like that for a while, work back up to it, train him up so he can handle it. What do you think?"

Ryou took a deep breath and paused the game, rubbing his face as he tried to think of an appropriate way to reply. BDSM was so far out of his element. He liked getting kinky every now and then himself, but usually couldn't stomach more than fuzzy handcuffs and a blindfold. Vanilla sex was good. Vanilla ice cream was good. Adding toys or handcuffs or sexy outfits to vanilla sex was like adding chocolate sauce, sprinkles, and a cherry to a scoop of ice cream. BDSM was like loading up the perfect sundae with gummy bears, overly-sweet fruit, caramel sauce, crushed cookies, and serving it all with a mountain of whipped cream. It was unnecessarily over complicated at best, disgusting at the worst.

In the end, he gave up on giving a helpful response.

"I honestly wouldn't know anything about that, Malik," he said at length, not having to look over at his friend to know Malik was watching him. "I mean, I hate being spanked during sex, so I can't imagine why anyone would want to be paddled or whipped or anything worse than that."

"I've explained it more than enough times for you to understand."

 _Seto: So aside from torturing me from afar and potentially ruining my reputation, what are you up to right now?_

 _Malik: Trying and failing for like the 100_ _th_ _time to explain how sexy spanking can be to my roommate._

"That doesn't mean I _do_ , though." Ryou frowned to himself. He _wanted_ to understand, he really did. He wanted to know why Malik was so into all of this, all these bells and whistles, when it was all so unnecessary and over complicated an already good thing. "Look, I'm not trying to be an asshole, Malik. You know how I am about this stuff. I'm pretty vanilla myself and I can't really talk about it with you the way your club friends and Kaiba can. I just… don't understand how pain like that can be sexy."

"One of these days I should put you over my knee and show you," Malik mumbled, almost to himself as he returned another text.

 _Seto: Ah, sounds fun._

 _Malik: Not so much. Hey, how would you feel if I showed him the ropes? ;)_

"That's not funny, Malik."

Malik looked up at him, surprised by the irritated tone in his voice. He set his phone down and turned completely towards Ryou so his friend had his undivided attention. "Alright, I'm sorry. But after all the ways I've explained it to you I don't really know how else to make you understand."

"I am _not_ going to sleep with you."

At this Malik laughed, and the sound was so sudden it made Ryou flinch. "Well, I'm not!"

Malik nodded, trying to catch his breath. "I know, I know. I'm not asking you to fuck me, anyway. Actually, I was thinking of setting you up with one of my friends from the club."

Ryou's pale cheeks turned a bright pink. "Malik, no, do not. I swear to God-"

"I'm not going to set you up with some weirdo Dom, Ryou. No, I was thinking about one of the switches I know, a friend. He's really into games, too, so if he can't explain why doing the dirty with chains and whips are exciting, he could still beat your ass at Mario Kart."

Ryou rubbed his neck, his face still flushed. "I don't know. What if he thinks I'm into it and wants to… do it?"

"So say no. Consent is the bedrock of any relationship, but especially when bondage is involved. If he's the kind of man I think he is, he'll respect it. And if not, I'll tie him up and throw him into the lake." He grinned to show he was joking. "Besides, I _know_ you stole a few of my restraints when you were still dating Minami, so I _know_ you're at least into the B of BDSM. It'd be kind of nice to scratch that itch again, wouldn't it?"

Ryou looked over at him when Malik began poking his sides playfully, his pensive face melting into a grin as he grabbed Malik's hands to stop the poking. "Alright, alright. I'll meet him to talk, but I'm not going to sleep with him. I mean, if he likes games he can't be too weird, can he?"

Malik grinned back, leaning away and scooping up his phone. "Good, good. I'll make a true sub out of you yet." He laughed and avoided the throw pillow Ryou tossed at him, waiting until he resumed the game to look at his phone. While he hadn't been paying attention, Seto responded a few times, each text a few minutes apart.

 _Seto: Ha, I don't think so._

 _Seto: You're not seriously showing him the ropes, are you? The least you could do is record it for me._

 _Seto: …Malik?_

Malik rolled his eyes, a bit annoyed at himself for not saying JK, and a bit annoyed at Seto for seeming to think he'd honestly try to seduce Ryou.

 _Malik: Sorry, had to put down my phone for a sec. But don't worry, I was just teasing you._

Seto's response was short and quick, as if he'd been waiting for Malik to reply. Maybe he had.

 _Seto: Good._

 _Malik: Why? You jealous?_

Malik smirked a little at this, the thought of Seto being jealous a little entertaining. He knew logically jealousy didn't mix well with any relationship, especially one so reliant on trust as theirs was; but it was still a flattering thought.

 _Seto: As if._

* * *

 ***Chastity device:** A device of any kind used to prevent the wearer access to or stimulation of their genitals, especially used for orgasm denial. (Also called a cock cage for those with penises.) And yes, they can be worn for 24/7, several days at a time; though like everything else in BDSM it is advisable to work your way up to that.

 ***Orgasm denial:** Also known as erotic sexual denial. Sexual play in which a person is kept in a heightened state of arousal for any length of time without achieving (read: being _allowed_ to achieve) orgasm.

 **I have never worn a cock cage before (or any kind of chastity device for that matter) so I'm basing Seto's experiences with his off reviews I read online. Most guys who wore it longer than a day said that they were completely obsessed with their dicks until the thing was taken off and I couldn't resist making it like that for Seto. I also got on some anonymous smutty chat site and asked random men about their cock cage experiences. Do you know how much dirty talking I had to endure to find a guy who'd genuinely answer the questions I asked without trying to make it weird? Y'all better appreciate the things I do for this fic!**

 **Also, I'm gonna go back and change "Joey" to "Jounouchi" in the first chapter, and I'll be using the Japanese names for the rest of the fic. I dunno why I used Joey in the first place, I prefer the original names myself. ;p And aww, wonder who Malik's gonna set Ryou up with? I bet everyone knows but OOOH, mystery!**

 **I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, even though it was mostly filler (and I'm really bad at writing filler). If you do like it, please leave a review! It really motivates me and I thrive on feedback!**


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